A Weapon's Birth
by Faerie of Light and Darkness
Summary: He was a person, born of flesh. He was a vampire, sired by Amun. Yet despite his natural origins, he was treated as unnatural by most around him. He was a weapon, a tool...
1. The Unusual Case of Benjamin Iyana

_**The Unusual Case of Benjamin Iyana**_

Benjamin Iyana, a young man in his late teens, entered the mid-section of his hometown, Edith, an Egyptian town. It was bustling, as always, with tourists and shoppers. Workers behind fruit stands called out to passerby. He had long ago gotten used to the sound, though one worker stood out to him, as always. He looked at a woman's fruit stand. "Good morning, Mrs. Ziza. You look lovely today."

The elderly woman smiled at him. "You're such a sweetheart Benjamin. Won't you buy something from me?"

Benjamin looked at some of the fruit, calculating for a moment. "I'll make sure to do so on my way back."

Mrs. Ziza waved at him as he started walking again. "See you later, Benjamin!"

Benjamin walked passed several more merchants, saying "hello" and "good morning" to each one. As usual, business was booming for Edith. It had always been a prosperous town next to the Nile. "Hey Benjamin!" Benjamin turned to see Nnamdi and Sambi, twin children.

"Hello boys. How are you?"

"We're fine Benjamin. What about you?" They said as one.

"Hello, Benjamin!" Aya, the mother of Nnamdi and Sambi, called from her window.

"Hey Aya! What are you doing?"

She walked out to Benjamin and shook his hand, as she always did in the morning. "Just hanging out some clothes to dry and trying to keep an eye on these two boys." She ruffled Nnamdi's hair. "What's the weather look like? Will my clothes be able to dry in time?"

Benjamin looked up at the sky. There wasn't a cloud up there, but he knew better. "It looks like it'll rain in a few hours, Mrs. Aya. I say you've got about an hour or two before you have to stop doing laundry."

"There's no clouds in the sky, though!" Sambi said.

Aya leaned down to her son. "Eventually you'll learn that Benjamin is the one everyone asks about the weather. He's never been wrong...not once." She chuckled and stood up. "Anything else, Benjamin?"

"Yep. There's going to be some heavy winds coming from the North tonight at around 8 or so, so make sure the boys are inside by then."

The twins groaned simultaneously. "Alright boys! You heard him! You can play as much as you want, but be back before 8." They nodded and ran off into the crowd. Aya smiled at him. "Thanks Benjamin."

Benjamin smiled at her. "Anytime, Mrs. Aya."

**BW**

Tia Almez watched Benjamin as he walked away from Mrs. Aya. She had heard every word that he had told Aya and was surprised to see that he was _completely _sure of himself when he described the weather to her. _Maybe I should talk to him... _She reasoned that she should not and finally her intellect won and told her _not _to go because she reminded herself that she's a _vampire. _

_Nothing could ever happen between the two of us anyway. He's so..._ She watched him as he spoke to another towns person and a rush of words came to mind. Finally she decided he was _lovely. _She slowly stalked after him, remaining in the shadows. Of course, nothing bad could happen if she stepped out the shadows. Other than her hands and her eyes, (which were protected by the hood of her robe) her entire body was covered.

"Are you watching that boy again, Tia?" Tia turned to see the leader of her coven, Amun. He approached her. "I thought I told you to stay away from him."

"I'm telling you, Amun! He's special." She turned to Amun's mate, Kebi. "I know you heard him speak. He's gifted, isn't he?"

Kebi, stayed silent, as she did most of the time. "Well," Amun said. "Answer her." Kebi looked at Amun, then back at Tia and nodded. Tia motioned towards Benjamin, who was still talking to a towns person. Amun stared at him for a long time. At last, he spoke. "Today, we'll keep an eye on him and _I _will decide if he's truly special."

"Hey, I thought we were just here to let Heidi snag us a couple of drinks," Santiago said.

"I was just up for getting to stretch my legs and smell something different than that musty cave, myself," Sebastian said, "And I'm sure Heidi was just good with looking at all the cute teen boys and such."

Heidi gave him the finger in return.

Tia looked back at Benjamin, who was walking down the path again. "Come on! He's leaving again." They briskly followed him, staying out of sight.

"Good morning Cassim! The current's looking extra calm today!" Tia looked over at Amun, who was watching Benjamin closely. "And the water feels great. Wanna race?"

The man, Cassim, grinned at Benjamin. "You do realize that I'm one of the best swimmers in Edith?" He asked arrogantly.

Benjamin shrugged. "You've obviously never raced against me." He grinned and elbowed Cassim. "It doesn't matter who wins. What's a race between friends?"

Cassim nodded. "Alright, Ben. Your loss." He led Benjamin throughout the crowd. Both of them were unaware that Tia and the others were only a few short feet away. "Right this way," Cassim said.

Benjamin nodded and followed him. Amun elbowed her. "I know where they're going. We'll beat them there hide in the shadows behind that woman's fruit store to watch."

She looked back at Kebi, who nodded. "Alright...Let's go." In a flash, they were off. In a matter of 6 seconds, they were behind Mrs. Ziza's fruit store. Tia looked to her left at Amun, who was eying Benjamin like a fresh slice of meat.

A few minutes later, Benjamin and Cassim showed up. They stood at the bank of the Nile River. "You see that cactus hanging off the edge of the bank way over there?" Cassim asked. Benjamin nodded.

"We'll race to that and climb onto the bank, touch it, and swim back. The first one back, wins."

"That sounds fair." They both removed their shirts and jumped into the water.

"Let's get a closer look," Tia said to Amun.

Amun nodded and looked back at Kebi. "You hang back here in case something happens." Kebi dipped her head towards Amun. Amun and Tia then ran over to the bank and watched as Benjamin and Cassim raced.

By now, they were working their way to the bank with the cacti. "You know...I think the tide is speeding up for Benjamin."

Amun shook his head. "I think you are imagining things, you silly girl."

Santiago elbowed Amun. "I actually think Benjamin is gaining speed."

"Of course he is. He has the tide in his favor." She, Amun, Santiago, and Sebastian leaned forward simultaneously.

"Strangely enough," Amun noted. "The other boy doesn't seem to have the tide going in his favor."

Benjamin ran onto the bank with the cacti, where he touched nearby it before Cassim. He then dived back underwater. Cassim stood in the shallow water, seeming to note that Benjamin was swimming underwater. Without even stepping onto the bank, Cassim dove underwater behind Benjamin and the two of them swam underwater for a time. "Alright," Amun said. "We all know who's going to win. Let's go back to Kebi and Heidi."

The other three rushed off, but Tia stayed by the bank. "Tia!" Sebastian called. "What are you doing?"

Tia waved her hand dismissively and leaned forward towards the bank. Benjamin's head popped up out the water and he collapsed down on the bank, panting. Cassim stomped passed him angrily. He never even noticed Tia standing in the shadows. "Need a hand?" Tia asked as she walked in front of Benjamin.

Benjamin looked surprised at her presence, but he took her hand nonetheless...for a split second. He jerked his hand back and gasped. "Your hand..." Tia looked down to see her hand glittering in the sun. Mentally, she was letting loose a stream of obscenities.

She looked over to see that Amun and the others were no where in sight. She looked down at Benjamin and allowed her robe to flutter over her hand. "Let's get you settled down behind Ziza's." She watched as Benjamin leaned against the wall, watching her. He stepped forward and brushed his hand against her scarf. "I hope your face is as beautiful as your skin and your voice..."

Tia stood frozen as Benjamin pulled her scarf off her face. Benjamin stumbled back slightly at the sight of her. "A-Are you an angel?" He whispered, awestruck.

She leaned forward, breathing in his scent. "Something like that." She winked. "Don't tell anyone." And within the blink of an eye, she was several yards away, in between two houses and out of Benjamin's sight.

Amun and the others appeared beside her before she could even register what happened. "What the hell was that?" Amun demanded.

"It looks like Tia's about to get laid!" Sebastian said, snickering. He elbowed Santiago. "Just like you."

"I hope you choke, pretty boy."

"Yes, but the question is, what would I be choking on?"

"Both of you, shut up!" Amun looked at Tia again. "What the hell was that?"

Tia felt dazed at her encounter with Benjamin. Luckily years of training kept her from biting him, but she imagined that he tasted absolutely _exotic. _"I...I was just getting close enough to get his scent, and before I knew it he was pulling off my scarf." She began tucking her scarf back in the hood of her robe so it'd cover her face.

"You idiot! He probably knows that you're not human now!" Heidi shrieked.

Amun glared at Heidi. He looked back at Tia. "It doesn't matter. He's got talent. He will make for a good vampire."

Tia froze. "So, we're going to turn him?"

Amun nodded. "It would appear so. We'll watch him for a little bit longer and then we'll head back to the cave. And you'd better stay out of his sight," he said with his teeth gritted. Tia clenched her fists and nodded bitterly.

For the next hour, they witnessed Benjamin start a fire with ease, though three other people could not do it, and they witnessed him saying that the rains would be coming later that night, but that they would only last for an hour or so.

After that, the group headed back to the cave, several miles away from the town of Edith. "He's very interesting. He'll make for a good addition to the coven," Santiago noted.

"You know what else would be good?" Sebastian asked slyly.

"Don't say it."

"I couldn't agree with you more," Amun said before trouble could start. "I'll go and turn him myself tonight."

Tia's eyes widened with anger. "I beg your pardon? I'm the one that saw him first! _I _should be the one to turn him."

Amun glared at her. "I have the final say in this coven and I say that I will be the one to turn him." Tia nodded grudgingly. "Good, now that we've agreed, this plan will take place tonight after the rain."

**BW**

Benjamin could hear the rain beating down on the roof of his small home. He turned onto his side and closed his eyes, though each time he did, all he saw was the beautiful woman he'd met earlier. He wondered where she was from and why he hadn't seen her before. _"Don't tell anyone." _She told him. He hadn't said a word to anyone about her. It's not like he would, even if she hadn't given the warning. The visit felt like a special moment, private and indescribable. He wondered what she could possibly be. There had been the legends of the Servants of Bastet and the Servants of Anubis, but they were never rumored to shine like that, or be nearly as beautiful...

An hour later, the rain stopped and Benjamin was finally able to fall asleep, peacefully.

End of Chapter One


	2. End of One Life, Beginning of Another

_**Chapter Two: End of One Life, Beginning of Another**_

Tia eagerly ran beside Amun, thoughts of Benjamin spinning through her head. He only agreed to take her along, because she was the only one in the group that had Benjamin's scent. The plan was rather simple: get in, grab Benjamin, and get out. Tia reminded herself not to allow herself to get distracted by Benjamin as she had before. _I suppose it was for the best in the end...I got his scent after all. _She looked up, and off in the distance, she could see a few distinct shapes."You see that?"

"What? What are you talking about?" Amun half-snapped, already annoyed with Tia's previous impudence.

Tia squinted. "Up ahead... I see four shapes."

Amun stared into the distance. "No matter. It's probably just some travelers. They won't even see us go by. Then again... They are moving a bit fast for travelers."

"My thoughts exactly." They ran for a few more minutes, when the realization hit her.

"Shifters," she hissed.

Amun's eyes widened with annoyance. "Of course they couldn't mind their own business," he muttered angrily. He looked at Tia. "Alright, we're going to have to split up. Since you have Benjamin's scent, you will go after him and I will take care of them."

Tia shook her head rapidly. "No way! There's four of them. There's no way you'll be able to take them all."

Amun smiled mischievously. "I don't plan to fight them for _too _long. Meet me back in the cave and hurry. I'll start to break away from them and I'll be at the cave in about ten minutes. You'd better be heading towards the cave with the boy by then."

Tia nodded at her orders. "Alright Amun. I'll do my best." She turned and began heading west, preparing to loop around to Edith and avoid the shifters.

**BW**

Amun watched Tia break away from him. He turned his head towards the shifters. Now he was able to recognize just what _kind _of shifters they were: two lioness shifters, and two jackal shifters. _Great...I knew I should have brought Kebi with me. _Though the woman was not gifted, she was a hard fighter, and a good companion; just what he would need for this situation.

Approximately a minute and 37 seconds later, Amun and the shifters slid to a stop several feet away from each other. The shifters exchanged glances and one of the lioness shifters turned and ran back towards Edith. Amun knew the lioness was going after Tia, but he wasn't too concerned. Tia could take care of herself.

He watched as one of the jackal shifters became distorted. He didn't flinch or blanch at the sight, for he'd see it too many times for it to affect him any longer. Amun didn't turn his head as the lioness and the other jackal began moving on both sides of him.

"Amun, leader of the Egyptian Coven," Sebi said.

"Sebi, leader of the Jackal Shifters...I'm surprised you didn't bring more with you."

Sebi glared at him. "Others off hunting or too far away. We have no need or time for more. We saw female blood-sucker with boy, so Jai followed. She heard plan."

Amun balled up his fists. He would have to make sure to make Tia pay for that later. "And you came here to stop us?"

"That boy important to Edith. He has powers... You _can not_ have him."

"That power you speak of... _shall be _mine!" Amun yelled as he leaped at Sebi. Sebi jumped to the side, barely avoiding Amun. The lioness and the jackal stood in front of him as he morphed back into his jackal form. The lioness growled at him while the jackals spread themselves out.

Amun backed up a little and ran, jumping into the air, propelling himself at Sebi. Sebi let out a loud grunt as Amun's fist made contact with his shoulder. Amun's head jerked up just in time for the lioness to scratch his shoulder with her claws. He fell off of Sebi, holding his shoulder in pain. The lioness then began to advance on Amun, but Sebi nudged her a bit and whined. _Of course Sebi doesn't want to fight...coward._

He stood up, looking as angry as he felt. He knew he couldn't win and he knew the shifters would not let this go for a bit... But he also knew that they were slower than he was. With a grin and a rude gesture, he turned and bolted.

**BW**

Tia leaped across one of the first building on the edge of Edith. Benjamin's house was located towards the middle of the town. _I've got plenty of time. _She hopped from one building to the other. "Hello, Tia!"

Tia turned at the familiar voice and saw Jai, the beautiful female lioness, standing at the edge of the building. All lionesses were females, just like all jackals were male. "What do you want, Jai? I'm in the middle of something..." In her mind's eye, she saw Amun holding a pocket watch by the chain and whispering _tick tock _like in her early vampire days, when he was training her.

"I know about it," Jai said, looking angry. "I found out about your plan with Benjamin. I am here to stop you as the others are stopping Amun. The villagers need Benjamin, damn it."

Tia froze. She knew Jai and liked her...to an extent. "I don't want to have to hurt you, Jai."

Jai smirked. "I have my orders to stop you and I was told to do anything necessary to do so."

Tia felt slightly surprised by Jai's behavior. _Jai's always been a tough warrior. Of course she'd put her orders first. _"So that's how it is, eh?"

"Yes Tia. If you come with me calmly, I will not resort to violence."

Tia closed her eyes. She didn't want to hurt Jai. She turned and looked back. She could barely see the roof of Benjamin's house. She looked back at Jai who'd already morphed back into a lioness. "Bye Jai." She took off running and hopped to the next building.

She didn't have to look back to know that Jai was chasing her. _How am I going to lose her? _She jumped to the next building. _I'm going to need to change direction...There's a pool coming... _She paused. _That's it! _

Lionesses could hardly swim. Once in water, they usually would float and have to drift their way back to land. Tia closed her eyes. She could feel Jai gaining on her now. _Next building...here we go. _She sprang onto the next building and once she was on the edge of that building, she allowed herself to drop for a moment. She grabbed the very edge of the roof of the building just before it was out of her reach and held on.

Sure enough, Jai could not stop herself in time and she dove right into the pool. Tia pulled herself back onto the roof of the building once she heard a loud _splash. _She looked down at Jai to see her floating in the middle of the pool. "Damn you, Tia!"

Tia stared at her. "I told you I didn't want to fight. Now if you would excuse me...I have a mission to carry out." She hopped over to the building across the street, and began hopping across those buildings.

A few seconds later, Benjamin's house was in plain sight. She hopped down from the building across from his house. _Finally. _She walked across the street and opened his door. Of course, it wasn't locked. Edith was a relatively safe place. There was never any trouble from thieves or other criminals.

She walked into his house and inhaled. His scent was on everything, but she could smell it strongest in a certain direction, so she headed that way. She then found herself walking down a small hall. _His house is rather cozy. I wouldn't mind living here... _She inhaled once more, and turned towards an open doorway. There, Benjamin lied on his bed, sleeping peacefully.

_Hmm...How am I going to go about this? _It only took her a second to come to a decision. She walked over to him and scooped him up in her arms. He groaned lightly. _Humans and their sleep; I admire them. _She opened his window and hopped out of it, onto the soft, cool sand, not that she could really feel it anymore. "Ah...Whoa!" He began squirming at the sight of her. "I-It's you!"

Tia smiled. "Yes. It's me. I need you to come with me. Let me carry you to the cave." She began to run.

Benjamin stared at her, confused. "What do you mean 'the cave?' Why are you taking me there? What's going on?"

Tia was already at the edge of Edith. It would take only a few short minutes for them to reach the cave. She would be right on time. "Our cave." She bit her lower lip. _How much should I tell him? _She decided to give him a few vague details.

Benjamin looked angry now. "Let me go! I don't know w-what you are, but I demand that you put me down! What are you about to do to me?"

His words hit her hard and she felt a pang of guilt. This wasn't fair to him, but then again she knew that Amun would kill her if she didn't bring him back. "I cannot do that. My leader needs you. We need you."

Now Benjamin looked worried. "You need me? Is something wrong?"

She could see the cave in the distance now. "Errr...Not exactly. We could use you. I would let you go, but my leader would kill me if I didn't come back with you. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

Benjamin's eyes widened. "Well, I don't want anyone hurt," he muttered.

Tia closed her eyes. She didn't realize that this would affect her so much, yet most of her still wanted Benjamin to be a vampire. On one hand, while she hated to tear him away from his old life, on the other, she consoled herself with the knowledge that he'd most likely enjoy the vampiric life. While she hated that he would have to be in pain at first, she was curious at what he would become. She wanted to know if he would possess the mystical vampire "gifts". The only gifted one in their coven was Heidi, whose ability had earned her the name "Succubus". Tia slowed to a walk at the mouth of the cave, waves of conflicting emotions crashing down upon her. She looked at Benjamin, noting his expressions, with a sense of dread.

He looked at the cave with a sense of foreboding. In the hands of an angel, yet he saw the cave not as heaven, but with terrified eyes. There was a smell of blood and death in the cave. No, this was no heaven. It might very well be hell.


	3. Monster

_**Monster**_

_**And now it's MY turn! I'm CerberAsta, Faerie's boyfriend, and this chapter is allllll mine. **_**:D XD**

Amun waited, impatiently, for his newest addition and the soon-to-be addition to arrive. Growling, he looked over at Kebi, who was busy preparing the meal she had caught earlier, due to her own impatience. He snorted as he looked out and saw the silhouette of Tia approaching slowly. He smiled as he caught the boy's scent.

They entered the very back of the cave, where Amun and Kebi could see clearly, whereas Benjamin kinda... couldn't.

"Where's Sebastian and the others?" Tia asked.

"Elsewhere in the cave. Heidi is entertaining the boys," Amun said

Tia made a slight _eugh_ noise.

"Where's _anyone_? I can't see," Benjamin said.

"Should we ignite a torch or- ?" Tia began to ask.

"Bah. He won't want one in a moment," Amun whispered, just loud enough that Tia's hypersensitive ears could hear.

Tia nodded grimly, as she set Benjamin upright and gently hugged him, comfortingly. She whispered gently, poems she had memorized, to distract him from anything he might notice.

_Wouldn't you admire the croc_

_Feared by the mighty roc_

He was enthralled by her musical voice, and the slightly nervous timbre in her voice only seemed like an extra chime in her voice, barely a detractor.

_Scales and teeth and tail_

_It will claw and ram and rail_

He was so absorbed that an actual human would've been able to sneak up on him with ease.

_Smashing and bashing_

_Fighting and biting_

_'Til the roc is done_

_And the croc-_

The boy seized up and screamed, as Amun bit into Benjamin's neck and injected the venom. The process took a few moments and then Amun was stepping back. Tia set him down gently, her eyes screwed up in pain as she heard his screams.

"...has won...," she finished, in the faintest of whispers.

**BW**

_Fire._

_It's coursing through my veins._

_I don't know what's going on._

_Who am I?_

_The pain._

_Why won't it go away?_

_Please... stop..._

_Who am I?_

_Please... tell me..._

_PAIN. FIRE. IT BURNS._

_Darkness..._

_Solace in the darkness of sleep._

_Time has passed... I don't know how much._

_I don't know my name..._

_I don't know what I am..._

_All I know is pain..._

_Coursing through my veins... Someone..._

_Anyone..._

_Please..._

_Make it stop..._

_  
Make it stop..._

_MAKE IT STOP!_

_Her face._

_I see her._

_Who was she...?_

_An angel?_

_Or a demon._

_The fire! WHY WON'T IT STOP!?_

_The demon... she betrayed me to this... this pain..._

_Why?_

_WHY DID SHE BRING THIS UPON ME!?_

_WHY THIS PAIN!?_

_WHY NOT JUST KILL ME!?_

_PLEASE! KILL ME!_

The darkness came upon him again.

**BW**

Tia sat on a chair-esque rock, watching Benjamin twitch and jerk about in his transformation-induced pain. Intently she stared, long passed when anyone else would've grown bored. Yet she found herself utterly fascinated with Benjamin's form twisting about, yet repulsed by it at the same time. Hearing his screams of pain twisted up her insides in ways she didn't know were quite possible.

She nearly tore her hair out, out of sheer frustration.

The blasted waiting was starting to get to her...

**BW**

Amun relieved Tia of watch duty, to send her on a hunt. Not out of concern for her safety, but for what she might do. She had been getting strange ideas lately. Completely abnormal for her usual self. He got the impression she might be... infatuated with the boy. Bah. Unreasonable. This was no mere boy. He was to be a powerful vampire. He would be Amun's greatest tool.

**BW**

Heidi, appointed to watch Benjamin, seemed almost bored with the job. Sure, none of them needed sleep, but Amun seemed almost too willing to make sure that Tia didn't get a chance to watch. Since she had been running around beforehand, she got picked next. Annoyed, Heidi huffed, watching Benjamin twitch, moan, cradling himself. She rolled her eyes, tapping her leg.

"I wasn't this dramatic..."

He screamed out, arching his back.

"Oh that's so not funny. I haven't gotten laid in 12 hours, punk, that's _so_ not funny," she grumbled.

**BW**

After Heidi got to the point where she almost tackled Santiago when he passed by, Amun decided to let her off the hook. So, that left Sebastian free. He studied Benjamin with interest. For a while, he wondered about Benjamin in unscrupulous ways, before his thoughts drifted back to Santiago. With a shrug, he declared himself beaten in that battle.

_Too hung up on Santiago..._

Shrugging, he thought about what Benjamin meant for his coven. His talents could mean big things. And his... apparent dealings... with Tia could mean some happiness for his "lil sis".

**BW**

Santiago grumbled as he walked around, making sure to pay attention to everything. He had been annoyed when he saw the others just sitting, when it would be so easy for someone to run by and grab them before the watcher could even figure it out. Growling, he continued pacing like a dutiful watchdog. He hissed at the thought of the jokes Sebastian would come up with about that.

Quietly, he studied Benjamin's frame. He noted the subtle shifts and the change in his complexion. He retained the Egyptian tan, but there was a definite difference. Far more defined, more perfect. Not a blemish was left...

**BW**

Kebi watched the boy with little interest. She had no caring affection for him. He was a weapon, created by her mate. There was no purpose to any emotional attachment. He wasn't a son. He was a tool. He had uses as a weapon, but little else.

Then why did her heart reach out to calm his torture...?

**BW**

Tia had made sure that events lined up to where she was the one watching Benjamin. She slipped a special aphrodisiac in Heidi's drink of blood (Heidi preferred it in a wine glass so as to retain some remaining illusion of humanity), which made Heidi go absolutely _insane_, even for her. Santiago and Sebastian were thus occupied in the very back of the cave, to make sure she didn't destroy something in her heightened sex-drive-induced rage. Kebi, who had been watching Benjamin, and having heard the various moans in the back of the cave, demanded Amun's attention immediately.

Tia snickered for a moment, then she heard Benjamin scream, and her heart sank. Her whole form went limp, hung over. She looked at Benjamin, now writhing about. Then he stopped. Tia tilted her head.

Then he began to move. A normal human is sluggish and slow when getting up, but the way he did it screamed "tiger" or "lion" or some other carnivore in just how _predatory_ it was. In a flash, he was up, scanning the room with pitch black eyes. He saw Tia, but at the same time, he didn't. She felt cold when his eyes glanced over her. His nostrils flared, and he was gone, far faster than she could hope to run.

"Benjamin!" she called out.

He didn't acknowledge her shout.

Why would he?

He was _hungry_...

**BW**

The Dancing Swans were a small group of dancers. They had little cult following. They were unpopular, as they had just started a few months ago. It was largely composed of random street performers, who were seen to have talent. They had started to form the bonds of family, but it was still shaky. After tonight, what bonds remained would be as strong as diamond.

They rode through the desert in an ox cart pulled by camels, as it was their stage as well as their home. As such, it was far too easy for Benjamin to catch up to them. He was an instinct-driven beast. There was not a drop of rational thought in his mind.

The winds riled up and the sands seized up all around the Dancing Swans, forming a wall. A howling erupted from the top of it, as the wind blew across the top, like when a kid blows across the open end of a coke bottle. A few of the dancers screamed, and one of them tried to make a break for it. He punched the wall, but found his hand sucked into the wall.

Growling, he tried to pull it out. The guys, busying themselves with thinking out what to do, were unaware of what happened next. The girls, paying horrified attention to him, screamed when he was pulled all the way through. His yell of pain was cut off a split-second later. The dancers all looked at where he had been.

"Harun...?" one of the men asked.

One of the girls began to cry loudly.

There was silence, but for the crying.

Then the silence was broken, as Benjamin, surrounding by whirling sand and a strange fire, burst through the sand wall, letting it all drop. Hissing, his eyes still black as pitch, he was monstrous in appearance.

"Demon!"

"A djinni!"

"Allah, help us!"

The words said degenerated into cries for mercy and screams as he launched towards the cart. They scattered, then, like ants from a destroyed ant hill. Despairing cries erupted from them as they found the sand grabbing their feet and trapping them there.

When he had his fill, three remained living.

When he had his fill, his instinct retreated, satisfied.

When he had his fill, his human conscience.

Even though his hunger was satisfied... he was incomplete.

He could still see their faces.

With horror in his eyes as to what he had done, he ran back to the cave. The way was etched clearly, even in the night. He receded inward a bit, allowing instinct to drive him there.

On the outside, a human would see him as a bit nervous.

This would be a misconception. He was not anxiously ticking or biting his nails. He wasn't mentally counting to relieve stress or focus himself. He wasn't nervous, so why would he?

No, not nervous.

Nervous people don't scream like they're dying, even in their minds.

**BW**

The Shifters stood amidst the carnage, near the abandoned oxcart. Camel tracks lead away, towards Edith. There were six this time. Three still in Jackal form, two in Lioness forms.

"A vampire did this," Jai said, "No doubt about it..."

"Blood-sucker smell all over. Yet... vague human scent," Sebi said.

"It's... It's Benjamin," Jai said, in a horrified whisper.

Sebi clenched his fist, in pure anger.

"They took away Edith's hope. He was axis. Blood-suckers must pay," Sebi growled.

He pointed to the three Jackals with him.

"Anbu, tell others. Ali. Al-Jher. With me. Selk, what will you do?"

The other Lioness, in her human form, looked at those with her. She nodded. Jai shifted, and all three Lionesses prowled closer to her.

"We strike," Selk said.

She shifted into a Lioness bigger than the others, as Sebi shifted as well. They roared, bounding after the smell.

They would have their prey.

**End of Chapter Three**


	4. An Act of War

_**Chapter 4: An Act of War**_

**Back to Faerie. Enjoy! ^^;**

Benjamin lied on his back in the cave as if he was going to sleep. Strangely enough he had no desire to do so. _Why is that? _He looks around noting his newfound sense of sight. As a human he always thought he had good eyesight, but now..._As a monster, I can see better. I feel... stronger, now. _

He casually walked to the front of the cave and looked up at the night sky. _What has become of me? Is this what I will be forever? A blood thirsty creature... _He stuffed his hands in his pockets and swallowed. _A blood thirsty creature that was betrayed by an angel...No...Not an angel. She's a demon._

Benjamin's head jerked at a sudden sound. He looked around, but saw nothing. _And now I'm hearing things? What next? _He closed his eyes, feeling the need to escape _everything. _He wanted everything to go away. Without thinking,he took off running with super-fast speed. It was faster than any human or animal he had ever seen.

It became apparent to him as to why Tia had been able to run away so quickly the previous day at the river. _Did she even give me her name? _He paused, deciding he didn't remember. Who knew if it was 'Tia' anyway? 

_Maybe it was Heidi or Kebi? I heard three female names while I was..._-he shivered-_...burning. _Benjamin skidded to a stop at the sight of Edith. _It was once my home...Now...I may never go back there again. _

Benjamin's head jerked at the sound of footsteps. He spun around to see three jackals and three lionesses charging at him, though they were still several yards away. Benjamin felt his knees go weak. He never knew that such creatures existed.

He had read about these creatures, however. Apparently shifters were all over the world. When he had read the book, he simply thought it was a load of blasphemy, but now...

The creatures came to a stop. One of the jackal growled lowly at him and Benjamin felt himself become hostile. _They want to fight. _Benjamin froze. He'd never been in a real fight. He enjoyed watching the kids horseplay in Edith, but he'd never actually fought.

The largest jackal snarled and flung himself at Benjamin. For a split second, Benjamin did not know what to do. _I have to let my instincts guide me. _He then sprang towards the jackal and tackled him back into the ground. The jackal's eyes widened in surprise and the other five creatures jumped at Benjamin.

Benjamin looked around, feeling panicked. _I can't fight..! I don't know how to!_ They landed all around Benjamin. He closed his eyes, mentally preparing for them to attack.

A jackal behind him growled and Benjamin knew he was about to attack, but the creature paused for reasons that Benjamin could not fathom. Benjamin opened his eyes to see the sand under them sliding out from under them and rising in the air. For some reason, Benjamin was not too surprised by this.

One of the lionesses raised her paw to scratch him, but paused as well, looking up at the sky as the sand ascended higher in the air, towering over all of them now.

Benjamin raised his fist to hit the largest jackal, but paused as it loud out a loud whimper. Another lioness took advantage of this and proceeded to smack him with the back of her paw.

Benjamin let out a loud cry as he flew back. He felt his instincts drop for a moment and as they did, the sand fell back down over the 6 shifters. Benjamin stood there, panting.

_What was that? _Less than a minute later, 4 paws popped out the sound. Benjamin positioned himself into a defensive stance, ready for a fight now.

It was too late.

His feral instincts kicked completely.

He would make them pay no matter what.

He was a monster now.

A monster trained for skill.

They would regret that they ever attacked him.

More paws popped out the ground and the shifters all simultaneously pulled themselves out of the sand. Despite the fact that they weren't human, Benjamin noted their chests quickly rising up and down. He was giving them a real fight.

This pleased him.

jackals and lionesses alike exchanged glances. They then all began to back up and Benjamin smiled smugly. _They are retreating._

He was surprised, however when they began to step to the side. It took him less than a second to realize that they were trying to surround him.

Benjamin turned to run, but two lionesses already guarded his back. He turned to his left. One of the jackals awaited him there. He turned to his right. Another one of the beast's fellows awaited him there. He looked ahead at the remaining jackal and lioness.

It now became apparent to him that he was horribly outnumbered. _I may die...Is that possible? Is it possible for me to die? I may be a monster, but I feel stronger and faster than anything... _

Anger washed over Benjamin now. How could he be defeated by a couple of _animals_? One of the lionesses made a noise, like she was laughing. This only increased Benjamin's anger. Behind him, he heard a soft whistle.

Benjamin ignored it, trying to keep his eyes trained on the shifters. The jackal in front of him leaned to the side and tilted its head. _This is my chance! _Benjamin shoved passed the shfiters in front of him and took off running, however, he tripped over a small desert shrub and flew into the ground, face first.

Now all six shifters made sounds as if they were laughing. Benjamin jumped to his feet, prepared to tear them all apart. He paused, however, and watched a stream of fire whistled past a jackal's head. The fire slowed down and danced around Benjamin.

Benjamin stared at it, confused. He did not know what to do, but he knew that this felt _natural. _One of the smaller jackals started to advance on him, despite the fact that the others were remaining still. Benjamin raised his hands and the fire rose with them.

He then allowed his hands to drop, and the fire flew at the jackal, hitting it in the stomach. The jackal yelped and fell back.

One down.

The remaining five creatures glared at Benjamin and ran at him again. The fire rose again and Benjamin flung it at two lionesses. One of them ducked, and avoided it, but the other was hit on her left shoulder.

Two down.

Benjamin cracked his fists and allowed the fire to rise again.

He didn't think.

He let his instincts guide him.

They would pay.

He would collect.

He sent the fire sailing at the biggest jackal. The scavenger-type shifter ducked down, as the lioness had, but Benjamin manipulated the fire to pause and whirl at him again. The largest lioness kicked a mound of sand at the fire, and it was extinguished.

They panted and glared at Benjamin. Before he knew it, the biggest jackal was on his feet and advancing on him. Benjamin swung his fist as hard as he could at the jackal, but the jackal seemed to easily avoid the blow. Benjamin tried to punch him again, but the jackal caught his hand.

Benjamin's eyes widened in shock. The jackal seemed to snicker at him as he swung Benjamin around, making him go flying in the direction of the cave. Benjamin stood up shakily and the four shifters glared at him. _They are going to kill me. _There was a light breeze now and Benjamin felt his fists tighten. _No._

He raised his fists once more. The wind picked up now. The shifters paused and looked around. Benjamin looked down for a moment and saw sand floating in front of him. Benjamin cocked his head to the side and the sand began to contract, becoming a ball.

Benjamin looked around to see four orbs of sand. The wind whistled lightly behind him. A jackal growled and the shifters began to advance. Benjamin instinctively punched the air and sent two orbs of sand at the biggest lioness and one of the jackals.

The wind blew harder, seemingly helping the orbs gain momentum. Before the two shifters could react, each one was hit with an orb and knocked on the ground. They didn't get back up.

Four down.

The last two shifters backed up, looking truly afraid now. Benjamin smiled. _They should be afraid. _They turned to run away, but Benjamin sent a gust of wind at them that made them stumble. He then sent his last orbs of sand at both of them.

They turned for a moment, but they could not avoid it in time. The orbs hit both the jackal and lioness from behind and they went sprawling into the ground.

The wind stopped completely and Benjamin stood there, smiling.

He won.

He'd beaten them.

Then it hit him.

Benjamin fell to his knees, shaking all over. He stared at his trembling hands. _I...I did this. How? _He stood up and looked at each individual shifter. All of their chests slowly were moving up and down. They were alive.

_That doesn't change anything. What have I done?_

He turned and took off running towards the cave.

He didn't want to think.

He just wanted to run.

He wanted to cry.

Benjamin looked to his side and saw a man as he ran into the cave. "Ben! Wait up!" Benjamin ignored the voice and ran to the back of the cave, where he sat rocking back and forth.

The man walked up to him and kneeled in front of him. "What's wrong?"

Benjamin mustered a glare at the man. "Who the hell are you?"

The man grinned. "My name is Sebastian." Sebastian turned and looked back towards the front of the cave. Benjamin leaned to the side to see a woman standing in the archway. Not just any woman...It was _her._

"Is something wrong?" The woman asked.

Benjamin leaned back and looked up at the cave's ceiling. _If she is a demon, then why does she still sound like an angel? _"Hey Tia! Benjamin is freaking out here. I don't know why though. Did you go out and kill anyone?" _So her name is Tia..._ Benjamin looked at Sebastian and nodded.

"Is that what's wrong?" Tia asked.

Benjamin looked at her for a long, hard moment and shook his head. "Then what is it?" Sebastian asked.

Tia gazed at Benjamin, waiting for an answer. "I...I was attacked." Tia's expression changed. Was she...concerned? "I was attacked by some jackal and lioness shifters."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "How the hell did you get out of there alive?!"

So Benjamin told them what happened. Both Sebastian and Tia looked surprised. "Tia," said Sebastian. "You should go to Amun and tell him of this."

Tia wordlessly turned and disappeared at lightning fast speed. Benjamin looked at Sebastian. He was still shaking, but not nearly as hard as before. "W-Who is Amun?"

"Amun is our leader." Sebastian leaned forward. "Hey...You couldn't help it dude. Some of us are...gifted. Obviously you are among those that are gifted."

Benjamin stared at him. "What exactly are...we?"

"Vampires," Sebastian said, in a somewhat blunt tone. He didn't seem to react to Benjamin's surprise. All the puzzle pieces seemed to fall in place. _I should have known. _He thought of how he tore apart the caravan.

His speed.

His strength.

He was a vampire.

_Just another name for a monster. _Sebastian placed a hand on Benjamin's shoulder. Benjamin didn't bother shaking it off. It was that _demon's _fault that he was like this, not Sebastian's. "They attacked you, right?" He nodded. "You couldn't help it... Did you kill them?" He shook his head.

All the sudden, the Benjamin's hypersensitive ears heard a light _whoosh. _There Tia and another man stood. "On your feet," the man snarled.

Benjamin glared at him and shook up. "My name is Amun. I am the leader of this clan. You are a part of this clan now." Benjamin did not respond. "Tia told me of the shifters, but I wanted to hear for myself."

"Hey! What's going on?" Another female voice shouted.

"Are we being kept out of the loop about a new addition to the clan?" A male voice shouted.

They other two vampires walked over. "Hey Santiago...Heidi," Sebastian said, nodding to both of them. "Hey Santiago?" Santiago looked at him. "Looking good." Santiago glared at him and Benjamin could not help but smile.

The woman, Heidi, cast her gaze on Benjamin, making him feel uncomfortable. _She's eyeing me like a piece of meat. _

"Something has happened," Amun said. "It would seem that our...'new addition'...was attacked by the shifters."

"What the hell happened?!" Heidi demanded.

Once again Benjamin told them of the shifters. Their reactions were the same, except for Amun, who looked completely outraged. "They tried to kill you!?"

Benjamin nodded.

Tia looked at Amun. "This is a very serious matter," she said quietly.

"You think I don't know that?! They have attacked one of our clan! This is an act of war!" Amun spun around and stared towards the entrance of the cave. "They will pay," he hissed.


	5. Servants of the Old Ones

_**Chapter 5: Servants of the Old Ones**_

**Tis Asta again, deciding to explore the mythos within the Egyptian Shifters.**

A boy, obviously a teenager of around the age of 16, laid in bed, peacefully. He would've slept til dawn, when his day would normally begin, until his sister shoved him. He groaned and sat up.

"Huh...? Awww... Jai, whaddya want...?"

"Remember the Grand Secret?"

Jahk nodded, lightly, sleepy.

"It's time for you to hear it."

A touch more alert, Jahk started to get up.

"In the middle of the night...?"

"You'll see why."

After much mumbling, the boy got up and put on some proper clothes. Sighing with frustration, Jai finally half-pulled him out of the house.

**BW**

Rushing through the city at night was usually akin to walking amongst the dead. Quiet and eerie. Yet there was a still a definite rush in Jahk's blood as he snuck around, trying his best to keep up with Jai and perform the similar stunts she had.

He wondered for a while how she had been able to do all those things, and then thought back to what she called the Grand Secret. It had happened about a year ago, when she was his age. Jai started growing taller, she started slimming up and toning up, and her diet started consisting more and more on meat and dairy, to the point where it was the only thing she ate; she claimed that anything else made her vomit, and for some reason, their mom believed her. When he tried the same lie, his mother snickered, shaking her head. He was still made to eat his veggies.

It was strange, as well, how her attitude changed. She was usually a bit boisterous and outgoing, but after the Grand Secret, she started getting more solitary and quiet. Jai remained popular enough, due to her sudden athleticism, but her circle of friends quickly changed.

It was weird.

It was terrifying.

It was _so cool_.

And now he was about to find out about it. _AWESOME_.

**BW**

They finally slipped out of the town, yet they kept going, further and further on. Eventually, the ruins Jahk had become familiar with in his childhood (as his mother had told him to stay away, so of course he did it even more) were in sight range. Jai looked around, then stopped. Jahk slowed and stopped behind her. He felt so winded, yet she seemed like she'd been walking.

Without a word, she snatched him up, slung him around her shoulders, and took off at neckbreak speeds. Jahk nearly screamed, but found he was too nauseous to want to open his mouth.

They dashed forward, going deeper and deeper within the maze-like ruins, overgrown with foliage that flourished in the shade. He had heard that it was an odd place, but now it definitely seemed strange, given that it felt like the very air was soaked with water. That was unusual, even at night. What was with this place...?

His wonderings were cleared away when Jai stopped and set him down. Jahk fell on his rear and looked around.

"Welcome, young one," Sebi declared.

Jahk looked up in wonder at one of Edith's most respected men. He had observed how he was treated in the city. Many gave him their wares with no payment, or granted him something extra on the side. Many wives had gone by his tent, and left behind a giftbasket of food. He was known for simplistic speech, but he always had a powerful aura about him. On a few occasions, Sebi had gotten Jahk out of trouble. He had sternly warned Jahk against repeating the action, but he would frequently smile at him when he pushed him in the direction of his house.

"Thank you for bring your brother here for us, Jai. You did well," Selk said.

Jahk turned to look at Selk, his eyes bugging out. She was Edith's most respected woman; there was no contest on that. She caused many of Jahk's friends to swoon; she was rather beautiful. Most women went to her for advice, while most men made sure to clear the way for her, unusual enough in Edith, where the custom was "men have right-of-way, always".

How many cool people were in on all of this?

Sebi and Selk stood side by side, with many of Jai's friends around them. They formed a line, with boys' lined up, starting from Selk, while the girls' line started at Selk and went to the right. It wasn't like a cult, where they all wore the same thing. They were a strange group, nonetheless, with minimal clothing, all the same. He wondered why they were dressed in so little...

"Little one... you wonder why you are here."

Jahk nodded, absent-mindedly.

"This is tradition, started in Age of Immortals," he continued.

"Immor-?"

"The Immortals. Osiris. Set. Amun. Ra. Anubis. Selket. And many others," Selk explained, aware that Jahk would be confused.

"You mean the gods of old tradition?" Jahk said, "You mean that they exist?"

"I do not know. Once were beings of power, who were called gods. They lead Egypt long ago," Sebi said.

"For a while, there was peace. Egypt entered a Golden Age when Set killed Apophis, the greatest evil ever seen. Then Amun, the Godking, stepped down, and a great civil war arose."

"Set and Horus fought, leading the two halves of Egypt against each other."

"Set lead Lower Egypt while Horus lead Upper Egypt. During the battles, Set killed Osiris and stabbed out Horus' eye, before he was defeated."

"First ruler of Egypt after civil war was Menes. He now said to be cause of end of civil war."

"However, it is not the human asset of the war that we concern ourselves with. It's the hidden aspect. The Guardians were a part of the war. Horacites, Anubites, Selkites, and many others."

"By end of war, only we Anubites and Selkites were left."

"And so we became the defense of Egypt. And we have lasted for all this time. There has been little to oppose us or hurt our charges. Until recently."

"Followers of Set have risen. They are cold things, with great strength and speed. We must uphold the order of Horus. They attack our people and drink their blood. We have pact."

"They stick to killing marauders and robbers, and leave our towns alone. But recently, they have broken the pact. They have taken one of ours and made him theirs. Benjamin Iyana is now a Follower of Set," Selk said, "And for that reason we have chosen to enlist a few more followers."

"So, young one, now you know your ancestry. Do you wish to accept great burden?" Sebi asked.

"I accept it, sir."

A Jackal shifter and a Lioness shifter walked forward and firmly grabbed each of his arms. He looked at them with curiosity.

"Then you must accept the mark of the Guardian."

Jahk looked at Selk with confusion.

"We Selkites and Anubites are difficult to damage. You have probably never bled before. Even when you should have. We are difficult to scratch or break. When first marked, you will immediately shift forms," Selk said.

The Selkite and Anubite reached back with their free arm and swiped.

_SLASH! SLASH!_

A bloody "x" formed on Jahk's chest. It dripped for a moment as he screamed in pain, before changing. He became a jackal, smaller than the others, who shifted with him. The lionesses and jackals all reared back their heads and let out a cry.

**BW**

"Benjamin, you must keep practicing," Amun snapped.

Benjamin, panting, nodded and kept manipulating the fire in new and interesting ways.

"Why do you push him like this?" Tia asked.

"The boy's got to keep learning as much as he can do with the elements as he can. He's only got a year. After that he's gotta learn his limits. For now, he's gotta figure out to what extent his talent allows him to manipulate the elements."

Benjamin stepped hard on the ground, and the sand swarmed up around his legs. The sand shifted to move away from his knees and ankles. He conjured fire and pointed at his legs. The sand began to solidify into glass.

"Hrmmm... that may not work too well," Kebi said.

"Cool look though," Sebastian said.

"Battle is about functionality, not fashion," Santiago growled.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, grinning, "You'll learn to deal with it, hot stuff."

Benjamin gripped both sides of the glass armor and pulled. It split clean in two, with not a shard flying from it.

"You're powerful, Benjamin. Very powerful indeed," Amun said.

Benjamin held up his hand and the glass reformed into several daggers, becoming liquid for a moment as it did so. He pressed one of the daggers against his skin and twitched as it pierced him.

"Glass shouldn't be that durable," Santiago said.

"Get it out, Ben!" Tia snapped.

Ben pulled it back, then tossed it at the rock of the cave behind him. It made several turns and twists in the air, before stabbing into the rock.

"I condensed the glass several times over," Ben said.

Amun raised a brow, before he and Kebi went inside.

"Keep training, Ben."

**BW**

Amun and Kebi sat in a secluded part of the cave, where their shushed voices were ensured to not be caught by their followers.

They stood in front of one another, their heads beside each other, so that they could whisper as low as they could, just in case some of their followers came close by.

"Benjamin is a useful tool. This is true. And the Volturi would think so, too," Amun said.

"No worries. If Volturi observe him, we can catch them. My talent will take care of the rest, without raising suspicion."

"Right, right. I always forget."

"Of course."

"Ben, though... there are natural concerns about him. His usefulness can be a dagger at my enemies, or a dagger at me."

"True enough."

"For now, he may be a rising god. But he's chained to me, bound to do my will. With luck and skill on our part, he shall stay that way."

Kebi nodded.

The lovers kissed gently, before whisking off to witness Benjamin's training.

**End of Chapter Five**


	6. Trouble Afoot

_**Chapter 6: Trouble Afoot**_

Benjamin leaned against the cave wall, panting. Heidi walked over to him and grinned. "Had fun?" _Is she asking me if I had fun killing those people? If so, then I think the answer is no. _

He shrugged. Heidi kneeled in front of him. "You have a little blood on your mouth. Wait…I'll get it." She leaned forward, her lips close to his. Benjamin froze his eyes wide. _What is she doing?_

"Heidi! What do you think you're doing?" _Tia. _Heidi jerked back, stumbling back.

"Damn it, Tia! Are you spying? What exactly do you think you're doing here?!"

Tia stood over her, glaring at her coldly. Benjamin watched both of them with mild curiosity. "I think I'm stopping the cave's slut from getting a hold of our new addition. Aren't you satisfied with Santiago and Sebastian?"

Heidi looked over at Benjamin with a mischievous smile on her face. Benjamin stared at her, wide eyed. She looked over at Tia. "Obviously not," she said smirking. "Benjamin here is unclaimed goods. Until that changes, I plan on having him for myself." Tia said nothing, though she continued glaring at her. "Good day, Benjamin."

Benjamin watched her walk away. As soon as she was around the corner, he shuddered. Tia grinned at him. "Does she scare you?"

"A little," he admitted. "She has a bit of a…dominant demeanor."

"It's understandable for you to feel that way. Come on…Get up. Amun has told me that I'll be the one to show you a few combat skills before you train with Sebastian."

Benjamin didn't move. _Interesting…Training with _her. He wasn't sure if he liked that idea. _She was the one that betrayed me…At the same time Amun seems intent on making me stronger. What have I got to lose? _

Satisfied with that thought, he allowed himself to relax. "Where's Sebastian?" He finally asked.

"Amun suspects that the shifters will be launching an attack soon, so he's sent Santiago and Sebastian to patrol together."

"Oh."

Tia held out her hand. "Let's go out and train until they come."

Benjamin hesitated. _Nothing to lose, he reminded himself. _At the same time, he still felt bitter towards Tia. He took her hand and allowed her to help him up, though he knew he didn't need it.

Tia looked at his hand for a moment and smiled lightly, letting it go. Benjamin felt his stomach lurch. "Shall we?"

He nodded and they both took off running to the mouth of the cave. He gazed at Tia, swallowing at the sight of her skin sparkling in the sun. He looked at his arm to see it sparkling as well. "I'm faster than you," he noted aloud.

Tia grinned. "Yes you are. As a newborn you are stronger and faster." She leaned forward. "Are you hungry?"

"No…I went hunting not too long ago."

"Does that bother you?"

"No," Benjamin lied. He was slightly surprised when Tia didn't press him. "So what exactly are you going to teach me?"

"Just a few ways of punching and kicking…It won't be anything too complicated."

_Because this entire thing is just SO simple. _"Okay. Tell me what you want me to do."

Tia walked into the front of the cave. "How accurate do you think your punches are?"

Benjamin shrugged. "They hit in the general direction that I want them to."

Tia held up her hands. "Punch one of my palms." When Benjamin hesitated, she grinned. "You're not _that _much stronger than me. Go on…"

He walked over to her. "You sure about this?"

"Yes," Tia said, not sounding the least bit impatient. "Go ahead."

"You asked for it…" He balled his fist up and punched towards her left palm.

He let out a small gasp when Tia caught his fist in mid-air. "Actually that looks like you were about to hit my shoulder. Here…I think it's your posture. Let me help you." She paused. "Is that alright?"

"Yes." She smiled and walked behind him, gently grabbing his punching arm.

"You move your arm back too far when you're punching. Don't swing it back so much." Benjamin nodded. "Also, place your feet a little closer together." Benjamin did so. "Very nice," she said smiling. "Now relax your shoulders."

Benjamin felt her hands touch his shoulders slowly. Her soft touch sent a shiver down his spine. "Are you alright?"

He looked at her, swallowing lightly. "I'm…great, actually."

**BW**

"Is it hot out here, or is it just you?"

Santiago shot Sebastian an annoyed look. _What the hell is the matter with him? _He ignored Sebastian and stomped forward. _I've tried everything to make him stop. _That was true enough. Santiago had tried everything from hitting Sebastian to ignoring him completely.

Ignoring him did not work however due to their missions and the fact that Sebastian would make the comments regardless. It _still _got under his skin after years and years. _And it always will. _The only thing he hadn't tried was responding to the advances. Which would _never _happen.

Sebastian's head twitched. "Did you hear something?"

"Only you're blabbering mouth."

"No, I'm serious."

Santiago raised his fists and sniffed the air. _Shifters… _Sebastian looked at him and nodded towards a flimsy shrub. With hyper-fast speed, Santiago and Sebastian shot towards the shrub. Santiago felt bulky arms that he knew weren't Sebastian's. _A jackal?_

He and Sebastian pulled the jackal to his feet. Santiago didn't recognize this one. The shifters all looked the same to him, and they had many scouts, though those were spread out all over Egypt. Then there was other clans that didn't want anything to do with certain clans and so on and so forth…

"Out on a walk?" Sebastian snarled at the jackal, who growled at him in return. _See…I could be Sebastian friend if he acted like this more often. _Sebastian looked at Santiago. His expression told Santiago that he was all business now. "Let's get him to Amun. He'll know what to do with him."

The jackal let out a soft whimper and Santiago glared at him. "You should have thought of that before you tried to spy on us. You could have shown yourself…which tells me that you were up to something. We intend to find out what that something is." The jackal's eyes narrowed.

Sebastian looked at Santiago. "Should we run?"

"Yeah, but not too fast…I imagine jackal boy here will try to escape."

Santiago looked behind them. The cave was several miles away. "Okay, so semi slow running?"

"Yes."

They began to run, trying their best to ignore the shifter's squirming. When the cave was closer they could make out Tia and Benjamin outside the cave. The two of them seemed wrapped up in each other. So much, in fact, that they didn't see Santiago or Sebastian yet.

Santiago gasped at the sight of a blur that flashed in front of him. He skidded to a stop, though the sand did not hold him up as well as he'd hoped. He fell back, pulling Sebastian and the shifter down with him.

He groaned lightly and opened his eyes to see a lioness standing over him. _That's not good. _The lioness seemed to smirk as she stared at him. Before he could say anything, she backhanded him with her claw.

_Damn… _He opened his eyes to see Sebastian lying beside him, holding his stomach. "He kicked me," he groaned. Santiago sat up to see two shifters and a lioness in the distance.

_It's too late to catch up with them. _"Let's go to Amun and tell him about this." He stood up shakily and pulled Sebastian to his feet. Despite the passes that Sebastian often made, Santiago still liked him…sometimes.

**BW**

Benjamin swung his fist as hard as he could. This time, he hit Tia right in the palm. "Very nice! You're a natural."

Despite the fact that he was supposed to hate her, Benjamin smiled proudly. "Well you're…"

His head jerked up to see Sebastian and Santiago racing past them. "Something's happened," Tia said. _Uh oh… _He shot off into the cave, allowing his sense of smell to guide him to them.

"And you just let them go?!" Amun demanded as he entered that section of the cave. Santiago and Sebastian exchanged glances.

Benjamin felt a soft _whoosh _beside him and looked over to see Tia standing by him. "By the time we were up again, they were gone. There were three of them."

Amun began pacing the room angrily. "It took you _that _long to get up."

"Be reasonable," Tia pitched in. "Shifters are nearly as fast as we are. With a head-start, they could easily evade us."

"Did I ask you?" Amun demanded. Benjamin felt a spark of anger. Amun looked at Benjamin. "Of course," he hissed. "They are after you. They want a war. Well _damn it _I'll give them a war. Until then…" He looked at Santiago and Sebastian, who seemed to be holding their breaths. "You two train him."

Sebastian and Santiago nodded and turned to Benjamin. "We'll meet you outside," Sebastian said. They both shot around a corner. Benjamin looked at Tia who simply smiled and held a hand out towards the exit of the cave.

**BW**

Tia watched as Benjamin ran off. She looked at Amun, who stared at her. "I'm aware that you like him," he said. Tia said nothing. "So I am putting you in charge of watching him. Wherever he goes, be it hunting or just for a walk…I want you to go with him. Guard his back and see to it that he doesn't…get into trouble."

_Wow… _Tia felt a small burst of happiness. "I won't fail you."

"You'd better not." He stared at Tia for a long time, before waving his hand dismissively. "Go."

Tia turned and raced off to the entrance of the cave. She watched as Santiago and Benjamin wrestled with each other. She giggled and leaned against the arch of the entrance of the cave. She stared at Benjamin as he rolled over on top Santiago, attempting to punch him. _He's got a lot to learn… _She smiled. _But he'll make a fine vampire._

She watched as Santiago stood up and gave him a few pointers. Benjamin looked annoyed with himself as he stared at Santiago with his arms crossed. "Now I'll let Sebastian train with you."

Sebastian grinned at Santiago. "Sure thing, sexy."

Tia snickered and shook her head. It was obvious to her that Sebastian had feelings for Santiago…which was unfortunate. In all the years their clan had been together, Santiago never responded in kind. Tia sighed.

Benjamin punched, obviously aiming towards his face. Sebastian easily evaded it, and grabbed his arm, twisting it around a little. Tia knew that he was going easy on Benjamin, but it wasn't enough. The fact was, Benjamin didn't know _how _to fight. He was strong and quick, but not smart. Not yet.

Sebastian shoved Benjamin down gently. Benjamin stumbled slowly and began to kick Sebastian in the…groin. Sebastian gasped and jumped back. "ENOUGH!" Santiago roared.

Benjamin and Sebastian straightened themselves up and looked at Santiago. "Not bad, Ben. You've got one main problem."

"What's that?" Benjamin asked, looking exasperated.

"You're not smart enough."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Tia chimed in. Benjamin looked over at Tia and back at Santiago. "Not yet, anyway," she added. "You'll get better. You've got a long time to learn."

"She's right, but right now…" Santiago paused and shook his head. "You can easily be overpowered by just about any vampire or shifter. You have to learn to anticipate your opponent's moves. You have to be accurate. You have to be smart. You have to be lethal. If you're not able to do that…You'll never survive."


	7. Breaking Point

_**Chapter 7: Breaking Point**_

_**CerberAsta here, ready to drop the beats like DAMN.**_

**BW**

An unnaturally crept through the foliage, entering the sacred grotto, honoring the great defenders of Egypt: Selkhet and Anubis. Selkhet defended the people in life, as Anubis defended them in death.

He shifted into a boy no older than 17, with a lengthy build, but obviously musculature.

"Ali. What news?" Sebi asked.

"Regretfully, there is bad news, Sir. Benjamin is training to fight already. I know you said that we should wait for him to lose the Glory of Set, but I do not believe we have a year. By that point, he'll be too skilled at fighting, it seems," Ali said.

"I trust your analysis, Ali, and we will take due action. Benjamin got the jump on us last time, but we know what his power can do. We will not be caught again," Selk growled.

"We attack," Sebi said.

"But we wait, first. We will catch them when Benjamin is training away from the rest of the clan," Selk replied.

"Agreed."

**BW**

Benjamin launched into a series of well-coordinated punches that launched into a series of kicks. He finished by kicking forward and sending up a wall of sand.

"Hrmm... your punches and kicks were a touch sloppy. But that's hardly an issue, since we'll be training for quite some time, anyways," Sebastian said.

"Also, your sand manipulation should be more focused. A wall of sand might be good if we were throwing balls of sand at you... lightly. That wall was not terribly compact. Try not to use elemental manipulation a lot in battle. The maneuvers it grants you aren't worth the energy it drains."

Ben sighed. He erected a pillar of sand that seemed like stone. A few seconds later, he began wincing.

"See? It can leave you weak," Tia said.

Ben nodded, his eyes rolling behind his eyelids.

"I saw that," Tia said, smirking.

"..."

"I saw the movement of your eyeball. Your eyelid moves with it," Tia said, smiling still.

Benjamin sighed and prepared to continue punching.

"Now try accuracy," Sebastian said, "Punch me."

Benjamin looked at him, curiously.

"Come on, now," Sebastian said.

Benjamin looked down, fully aware this would probably not end well for Sebastian. He was half right, in any case.

He rushed towards Sebastian and went into a frenzy, sending punches toward Sebastian with a vengeance. His eyes widened in surprise, initially, as Sebastian dodged them all with astounding ease.

Sebastian laughed, as he shot to each side, ducking and leaping back, avoiding every blow.

"Almost."

"So close."

"Ohhh. I felt wind."

"Yikes, a mile away, man."

"You can surely do better than that, Benny boy."

Benjamin's eyes narrowed as he threw a steady stream of gradually fiercer and fiercer punches. Still, each and every one missed. Growling, he sent up a tendril of sand that snapped towards Sebastian, who leaped over it. The tendril snapped out and tripped Benjamin, causing the younger vampire to fall to the floor.

"See? Not worth it," Sebastian said, looking down at Benjamin.

"I get it, I get it."

Sebastian helped him to his feet.

"Let's keep going, kid. We'll take a little while longer."

"We've been out here since yesterday, though," Benjamin said.

"Yeah, and we can last a few more hours, no sweat. It'd be another day that _could_ prove a problem, however," Tia said, "That whole "need to feed" deal."

Benjamin sighed for what felt like the fourteenth time that day.

The vampires, shining bright, stood close to one another. "Okay let's…" Sebastian was cut off by six forms leaping out the ground. Three lionesses and three jackals glared at the entities. Two of them, a lioness and a jackal, shifted into human form.

"Followers of Set, you have destroyed one of Edith's greatest," Selk growled.

"Sorry," Sebi said, "you must die."

It made no difference to Sebastian and Tia that Sebi had tears in his eyes, showing how sincere he was in what he said. The shifters threatened one of their own.

The vampires got into battle position.

"Everyone, take two, GO!" Tia shouted.

**BW**

Sebastian leaped forward, towards Sebi and Ali. The leader jumped to the left, while the spy went to the right. Sebastian hit the ground with a tremendous stomp that sent sand flying up all around him. He ducked down, then rolled to the side, just as Sebi leaped through the sand. Sebastian got to his feet just as Ali jumped forward to attack him.

He slammed his fist into Ali's face, knocking the enormous jackal to the wayside. Sebi roared, then swiped his claw at Sebastian, who nearly ducked. The paw brushed him, and he fell to the ground. Another paw came up, then slammed down on top of him. He moaned in pain, before putting his vast vampiric strength into moving the massive paw off of his torso.

"Now I know why Heidi gets so edgy about people grabbing her chest," Sebastian muttered, narrowly managing to slam the paw away from himself.

Ali took this opportunity to bound forward, biting hard down on Sebastian's shoulder. Sebastian cried out in pain as he swung around, barely able to dislodge the jackal-shifter.

Sebastian rolled away from the shifters' next attacks, and finally leapt to his feet. He glared at them.

"This is wrong! We've lived in peace for years! Why now? For Benjamin? DOES HE MEAN THIS MUCH TO YOU?"

Sebi and Ali briefly got into human form. Their nude forms shone with sweat, and though they had near-perfect bodies, the anger in their eyes ruined the effect.

"Not to take another, Setite. Brought about own destruction," Sebi snapped.

Sebastian snorted.

"Benjamin had great things heading for him. And you ruined them," Ali growled.

"You're wrong! I've been saying this for years! We can work together to protect Edith!" Sebastian retorted.

"Your master betrayed Osiris!"

"THAT'S LEGENDS FROM THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO! WE SHOULD NOT LET OUR PAST DICTATE OUR FUTURE!"

Sebi and Ali roared, shifting into jackals, and engaged Sebastian once more.

**BW**

Tia darted away from the battle field, away from the other were fighting; she smiled when she noticed the two lionesses behind her. Abruptly, she turned around and rushed back, smashing one in the face. A moment later, she recognized the lioness as Khet, due to the familiar reddish tinge. The lioness had been hanging closer to their cave than the others, though she didn't understand why...

Moving away from such thoughts, she kicked against the sand, sending it up in a spray that disoriented Khet. Immediately, Tia turned around to see a bigger lioness, with a black streak down her back, barreling towards her. Her eyes widened as she realized it was Selk.

"Oh, shi-"

Her words stopped as she had to leap up to avoid getting hit by the tank of a lioness. Selk leaped over Khet, who was getting to her feet. The lionesses stood side by side, a tremendous force to be reckoned with, to be sure.

They shot forward, gradually moving away from one another. Khet stopped, while Selk kept barreling, changing course towards Tia. Tia stood her ground. The two drew closer in no time at all. Tia swung downward, but Selk dodged it with a twitch to the side, before she bit hard on Tia's leg. Khet then shot forward at insane speeds. Tia smacked at Selk's head with little effect.

Her hits got more desperate as she saw Khet getting closer.

**BW**

Jai and Jahk stood, in human form. Due to the hot nature of Egypt, Jahk was used to being in the buff, it was called for in children's clothing, most of the time. However, he still felt a bit uncomfortable. Jai seemed shy, but not because of her body.

"Benjamin, I don't wanna do this," Jai said, her voice shaky.

"Then... don't," Benjamin said, almost pleadingly.

He kept his eyes averted, for the most part.

"I have to, though... you're a Follower of Set..."

"I don't even know what that means!"

"You killed those people..."

"I didn't want to!"

"I couldn't believe it when I heard it, at first. I mean, _you_... you were the best kid in Edith. The smartest, cutest, loveliest boy... and now you're a m-monster...?"

Benjamin was shocked to hear her talk like that. Did she... have feelings for him?

"But I have to! We have to, together, sis!" Jahk said, "To save our parents from them!"

Jai seemed to snap out of a trance, and then nodded.

Jai and Jahk shifted into their animalistic forms.

"Please, stop... don't! I won't hurt anyone!"

The looks in their eyes, sad as they were, said only one thing: the time for talking was _over_.

Benjamin balled up his fists, then prepared to swing. Jai and Jahk bolted forward and overtook him, biting hard on his shoulders and bringing him to the ground. Benjamin roared in pain, then exploded with power, sending extreme amounts of wind up around him. Sand and wind mixed into a powerful force that tore Jai and Jahk away from the elemental vampire.

He got to his feet and clenched his hands tighter than before. To his surprise, they ignited with a strange fire. He had been told that fire could hurt his kind, but this didn't... Whatever it was, he didn't care; it would be his weapon.

Jai and Jahk rushed forward, baring their teeth. He punched forward, and a wave of fire erupted from his hand. They stopped and tried to get away from it. Jahk's reaction was too slow, and his tail caught on fire. Yipping, he started rolling around in the sand, smothering the fire.

Benjamin heard a scream from behind him.

_TIA!_

He saw Tia, screaming, hitting hard on the lioness known to him as Selk. Khet shot towards him with vast amounts of speed. Terror shot through his body, and he punched forward, harder than ever, channeling as much power as he could into the blow.

_FWOOOOOOOSH!_

A spear of fire shot out, with a concussive explosion that knocked Benjamin back. The fire-spear hit Khet right in the leg. The lioness immediately fell to the sand, howling.

Jai rushed forward, seizing a chance she thought she had to at least seize Benjamin, if not outright kill him. She dug her claws into his chest, and he began to scream, then terror took over again. His whole body ignited with that intense fire, which sent Jai howling, onto her back. Benjamin's eyes turned the savage onyx, known as a sign of a vampire with thirst on their side. But this was not the only instance of the iris-color change.

Onyx was a warning to other vampires that the vampire was temporarily insane. Lack of blood was one cause of this. Sheer fright was another. It was difficult to maintain control with this state. Usually, it wasn't achieved until the desire was sated or the frightening thing is gone.

In his insanity, Benjamin knew of only one way to get rid of the "scary thing".

He focused all of his strength, elemental and physical, into a punch that tore through the sound barrier, nearly breaking his own arm. The fire that was unleashed was so concentrated at first that it was pure _white_, hotter than the sun. A few feet into being launched, however, it exploded with a tremendous force, decimating the landscape.

Benjamin was far enough from the fiery explosion that he was merely thrown back. Jai was beneath the explosion however.

All that was left was a glassy crater. Even her body had been incinerated.

Jahk roughly got to his four feet. He looked around, then rushed forward, changing.

"Jai?"

He looked down in the crater.

"JAI!"

He fell to his knees, smashing the glass with his bare fist. He never felt the blood trickle or the cutting glass in his hand.

Benjamin's eyes became golden, and he looked with horror at what he'd done.

"...no..."

He turned towards the cave and bolted. His pace nearly matched Edward's, but it was still too long before he stopped hearing Jahk's terrifying cries.

**BW**

Sebi looked towards the crying boy. Realization shot through her.

_No!_

A moment later, she realized what had to be done.

_EVERYONE! FALL BACK! Benjamin has gone, Jai is dead, and Jahk is in no condition to fight! WE MUST LEAVE, NOW!_

**BW**

By the end of it, Sebastian and Tia were ready to leave the fight anyways. They rushed off, while the shifters took Jahk back home.

Through his tears and wailing, Jahk only had one thought.

_Benjamin did this..._

_He'll die for this... I SWEAR IT._


	8. Realizations

_**Chapter 8: Realizations**_

_**Woo! Faerie's here again! I plan on rocking this chapter harder than…your mother.**_

Benjamin remained sitting, his back against the wall of the cave. It was exactly one week after Jai's death and things were strangely calm. Her death had shaken Benjamin to his core, but at the same time, he felt that he was growing closer to Tia.

After Jai's death, she consoled him. She told him that it really wasn't his fault and that he didn't have control of his powers yet. At first, he ignored her completely. "Benjamin," Tia had said. "Please listen to me." He stayed quiet. "You're not a monster. The shifters attacked _you._"

At first he didn't listen to her. That week he'd killed _twenty-nine _people outside Edith. When he returned to the cave, Amun, Heidi, Sebastian, and Santiago were waiting. When he'd asked Amun where Tia was, he said that she was looking for him.

In the end, Benjamin sat outside the cave for two full days waiting for Tia. Anytime Sebastian tried to train him, he sat there. Amun didn't seem happy about it, but never said a word.

When Tia returned, she simply smiled at Benjamin and asked how he was. His only response was, "I'm full."

Benjamin snapped out of his thoughts as Tia came around the corner. "I've been looking for you," she said, smiling.

"Why?" Benjamin asked, forcing his voice to remain calm in order to hide his excitement. _I always seem excited to see her._

She shrugged, still smiling. Benjamin stood up, looking her in the eye. "I've made a decision." She stared at him quizzically, but said nothing. "I'm going to Edith today. I'm full, so I don't think I'd be much of a risk to everyone there."

"Benjamin…"

"No. I've made my choice. I want to see the people I grew up with, Tia." He walked past her. "And if you don't mind, I'd rather go alone."

"Benjamin…"

He stopped walking and looked back at her. "Yes?"

She stared back at him, looking worried. "People…People will notice that you've changed. You might not like what you find once you get there."

He swallowed a little. _What if she's right? _"I'll have to see that for myself Tia," he said, going back to his calm, emotionless voice.

"Alright Benjamin," he heard her whisper.

For once, Benjamin did not run to get to Edith. When he exited the cave, he saw that it was still dark. Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his robe, he walked in Edith's direction.

**BW**

"The boy has left _again?!_" Amun roared.

Tia flinched as he slung a glass jar across the wall. "He's gone to Edith. He just wants to see his old friends," she said quietly.

"Why aren't you going with him?"

"Because he asked me not to," Tia muttered.

"I don't care what he's asked! The boy has been disobeying me since the death of the lioness! I've had _enough _of it! Go with him now!"

"Y-Yes, Amun," Tia said, turning and running towards the exit of the cave.

**BW**

The sun was just rising when Benjamin came upon Edith. Benjamin took one of his wraps and wrapped over the lower part of his face. _There we go. _

He walked into Edith. Things were still quiet so far, but Benjamin's hypersensitive ears heard a window open towards his old house. _Mrs. Ziza's is open. _

A wave of excitement filled Benjamin and he ran towards the back of Edith. _I wonder what she's been up to! Will she be happy to see me? I wonder if… _He skidded to a halt just before the shop.

He looked through the window to see Mrs. Ziza washing a few apples in the basin. "How are you doing Mrs. Ziza?"

Mrs. Ziza let out a small yelp, dropping the apples in the basin. "B-Benjamin, is that you?"

"Yes, Mrs. Ziza! It's me!" Benjamin said joyfully. His smile disappeared at the sight of her expression. _Is she afraid of me? _"May I come in?"

"N-No! I'm closed…"

"Mrs. Ziza, your shop is never closed on a…"

"It's closed!" She snapped her voice shaky. Before Benjamin could respond, she slammed her shop, windows closed.

_What did I do? I wonder how Aya is doing. Maybe she'll be happy to see me. _With that thought, Benjamin walked towards her house.

When he reached the entrance of Aya's house, he saw Sambi and Nnamdi wrestling in the front yard.

Benjamin smiled watching as Nnamdi tackled Sambi. "Nice one!" Benjamin called, grinning.

The two boys looked up. "Hey Benjamin!" They said at the same time. _I guess Tia was wrong. These two look happy to see me. _"Where've you been?"

They stood up and ran over to the edge of their yard where they stopped. "Benjamin," Sambi murmured, looking afraid. "What happened to your skin?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're all pale," Nnamdi said, his eyes wide. "And your eyes look strange. What happened to you?"

"I…"

Aya's front door slammed open and Aya stepped out the house. "Benjamin…" She squinted, staring at him.

"Yes Aya! It's me!"

"B-Boys…Come back in the house," Aya said shakily. Sambi and Nnamdi nodded to their mother and ran into the house without another glance towards Benjamin. Benjamin flinched as Aya's door slammed shut.

_Why has this happened to me? _Benjamin swallowed and walked to the edge of the village where Tia was waiting for him. "What are you doing here?" He muttered, walking out the village.

"I've come to check on you," she said quietly. "Let's head back."

About halfway to the cave, Benjamin collapsed. "Why has this happened to me? I've known those people all my life and now…Now they want nothing to do with me. Why?" He punched the sand as hard as he could, causing bits of it to go flying.

Tia sat down beside him. "Benjamin…" He looked at her, expecting her to tell him something along the lines of 'I told you so.' She inhaled sharply and looked up at the sky, exhaling. "Being a vampire has many advantages."

He looked at her confused. "You are stronger and faster than any other human. You don't have to breathe or sleep and you are…beautiful. At the same time, being a vampire has several downfalls."

Benjamin looked away, staring straight ahead now. "Like being shunned by society?"

Tia chuckled. "Yes," she said. "Just like that as a matter of fact. People don't like us. We make them intimidated and afraid. Your old friends saw you and despite the robes, they could still see that you were different. You _are_ different now, Benjamin."

Benjamin looked at her again and he felt his stomach lurch slightly when she grabbed his hand. "That doesn't have to be a bad thing though."

He stared at her hand in his. "Okay," he whispered.

_Tia's right. Being a vampire has disadvantages and advantages. I can't have my old life back, but there are some advantages of this new one. _He smiled at her. _Mainly one advantage. _

**BW**

Heidi did a 360 sweep of her surroundings. _Stop panicking, damn it. No one's going to follow me. _

She took off running, running around the outer edge of the cave. She cut around one of the sharper corners of the cave and came face to face with Khet, who was in her human form. "Khet!"

Khet looked at Heidi and Heidi saw a light bruise on her cheek. The vampire lightly placed her hand on Khet's face, tracing the bruise.

"Oh, Khet... what happened...?"

"Tia is what happened," Khet spat.

"I'm sorry," Heidi said. "We should have known this was going to happen."

Khet smiled. "No matter…We're here now, aren't we?"

Heidi nodded, smiling and she took Khet's face in her hands and kissed her passionately .

**BW**

"So Amun is mad at me?"

Tia chuckled. "Amun is mad at everyone…_all the time._"

The two of them stopped at the mouth of the cave. "You said he was throwing things," Benjamin said, shivering.

"Once again…This isn't something that's out of the ordinary."

Benjamin bit his lower lip looking nervous. "I don't want to go in there just yet." Tia put her hands on her hips in a way that made Benjamin grin. "Just to give him a chance to cool down," he added.

"He's a vampire, Benjamin. He's always cool."

"You know what I mean!"

Tia looked around. "Alright, let's just loop around to the back of the cave and we can hang out there. As far as I know no one ever goes back there."

"That sounds good to me," Benjamin said feeling relieved. After a while, Benjamin noticed a particularly interesting scent that was vaguely familiar to him. "Do…" Tia put her fingers to his lips and motioned for him to follow her.

Benjamin took Tia's hand in his and she paused to smile at him. _Guess I'm getting brave now. _He smiled at the thought. The two of them continued tip-toeing around the back of the cave when Benjamin heard..._Is that moaning?_

Tia looked at him, her eyes wide. The two of them walked around a corner of the cave and Benjamin gasped to see Heidi on top of some woman, kissing her deeply. "Khet?" Tia asked, bewildered.

_Lioness! What is she doing with Heidi?! _Khet shot to her feet, with her fists raised. Benjamin noticed both their clothes were spread out on the ground. "Heidi…You and Khet are…"

"This isn't what it looks like!" Heidi said her voice high-pitched.

"It looks like the two of you are…"

"Shut up Benjamin!" Heidi shouted.

"Shhh! Do you want anyone else coming back here?" Tia hissed.

Heidi and Khet exchanged glances. "Y-You'd better get out of here," Heidi whispered to Khet. Khet nodded, scooping up her clothes. She gave Tia one last look before she ran off.

Tia snickered as Khet disappeared from sight. "So you and Khet have a thing?"

"No!"

"That's not what it looked like to me," Benjamin said, snickering.

"No one asked you!" Heidi shot at Benjamin.

"I knew I smelled her around the cave!"

"Tia…You can't tell anyone else. If Amun finds out about this…You know what he'd do…"

"I won't say anything," Benjamin said, shrugging.

"Does this mean that you care about her?"

"I never said that Tia!"

Benjamin chuckled. "That's what it looks like. Otherwise, why else would you care so much about Amun finding out?"

"Because he would end it!" Heidi said, looking afraid.

"Exactly," Benjamin and Tia said at the same time.

"Who says that it's not just about the sex?"

"Because you have Sebastian and Santiago," Tia shot back.

"So? They're _men! _Who says I don't want a woman too?"

"I think you love her," Benjamin said, grinning.

"No!" Heidi scratched the back of her head. "I mean…I like her. But I don't _love _her or anything."

"Alright, alright," Tia muttered, grinning. "We won't tell." She looked at Benjamin. "Are you ready to go inside the cave?"

"Yes," Benjamin said quietly and Tia took his hand once more and they began walking towards the entrance. _This is the first time I've truly been happy since I've turned into…_He stopped himself from thinking of himself as a monster. _A vampire. _

The two of them walked into the cave, and Benjamin felt his happiness drop at the thought of Jahk.


	9. Pining Pup

_**A Pining Pup...**_

_**A sad chapter, performed by CerberAsta.**_

_**Get yer fiddles ready.**_

**BW**

Pain.

Black...

Dull, hollow, emotionless, tearing, rending, never-ending pain.

Black...

Why did it stay locked in his heart? Why wouldn't it go away? Would it ever go away?

Black...

The bloodstains had long ago left, but the pain stayed, like a bad itch. It thudded deep inside his heart, causing every breath to be labored.

Sleep fell over him once more, bringing the black blanket of oblivion.

The pain returned with consciousness. He wanted to sleep again, but his mom was shaking him. Her tears were on and off. At the moment, it was off. Any second and she would become a waterfall again. If only she weren't so sporadic. If only she were like him, and would keep the pain inside. At least she wouldn't randomly remind him of _her_.

_Why did you have to die, sis?_

The tears came to him, now, and they flooded out. He was lost in his sorrows for several minutes as he just cried, without fully knowing, without fully understanding. She was dead.

Poor Jahk, changing through his youth, in more sense than one, felt undying pain, eternally piercing his heart like an arrow.

"Please... come back, sis..."

Nothing answered the desperate plea of the despairing young boy.

Just darkness.

...and pain.

The pain, always looming over his head. Taunting him, with bites and stings and scorches and the _dull thud that just wouldn't go away_.

Jahk fell back, still crying. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his mother curled up on the other side of his bed, wailing. The pain overtook him, and then came the darkness.

**BW**

"Son, wake up."

"Papa..."

Jahk looked out through puffy, red eyes to see, not his father, but Sebi. Selk walked in front of him, then sat down on the bed. Jahk nearly felt like crying again, but narrowly stopped himself. Seeing a lioness just reminded him too much...

"Time is hard now. With sister gone, much pain."

"Much fucking pain."

"No need for foul mouth."

"Much fucking need for foul mouth."

Sebi sighed. Selk wrapped her arm around Jahk; she attempted to pull him close. Jahk jerked away, almost angrily. Selk sighed sadly, looking down.

"You mustn't be sad, however. Anubites and Bastets have a duty to Egypt. We must rise to every occasion. We must never give up the fight. Strike down the enemy," Selk said.

"Strike down... the enemy...?" Jahk asked.

"Yes. Setites."

"The pale-skinned guardians of Set. They are wicked, and must always be punished. We can form temporary alliances, but in the end, we must kill them. For, inevitably, we will exist as long as they do," Selk said, "I haven't aged in forty years because of them. I keep fighting because of them... I watched as old age took my husband, finally... because of them."

"Setites...?"

"Our name for them. Benjamin was taken by them, and now he has killed one of our own. Jai was a great guardian, and she would not want you to wallow like this forever," Selk said.

"Monsters still here. Mourn later. Fight now," Sebi said.

**BW**

Jahk walked through the streets of Edith, his hands in his pockets. His clothes were rather disheveled, and his hair was ragged. He looked down at the dusty roads, sighing sadly.

"Hello, little Jahk, how are you?" Ms. Ziza asked.

"Fine," Jahk said, just loud enough for Ms. Ziza to hear.

His raspy voice grated the air, and spoke very clearly for him: not fine. He fished around in his pockets for a moment, before fishing out enough change for a piece of fruit.

_Time is hard._

Ms. Ziza handed him the fruit he picked out, with a sad smile on her face.

"I heard about Jai... I am very sorry. She was such a sweet girl."

"Yeah. Very sorry...," Jahk replied, as he kept walking.

Nnamdi walked over to Jahk, while Sambi picked up a stick and fought an invisible foe.

"Hey, Jahk! What's up?"

Jahk looked at him, and their eyes met. Nnamdi was a young boy, but even he could see the hideous pain hidden inside Jahk's eyes. The eyes of a boy who had seen his sister murdered...

_Much pain._

"Your eyes are scary... Are you okay, Jahk?" Nnamdi asked.

"...No, Nnamdi. And for that I am sorry, as I can't play with you today. Possibly never again. Forgive me."

Nnamdi put his arms around Jahk; the Anubite looked at him in surprise.

"Mommy says hugs make everything better," Nnamdi said, half-muffled.

"Thank you."

_Strike down the enemy._

Jahk looked up, and broke away.

"But now... I have something I must do."

_They are wicked, and must always be punished._

"Will you be back?"

_But in the end, we must kill them._

"Maybe. But if I succeed... I won't care if I die."

_Now he has killed one of our own._

"I don't want you to die, Jahk! You're my only friend, 'side from my brother!"

"If you ever understand why my eyes scare you, you'll know why I have to go. One day. Goodbye, Nnamdi. Take care of your family. You can't know what it's like without them."

_Mourn later._

Nnamdi nodded, crying lightly. Jahk wiped away his tears, and gave him a gentle shove towards Sambi. Jahk continued walking. He slowly gained speed, and found himself outside of Edith, quickly.

_Fight now._

"Benjamin... you'll pay."

**BW**

The beast stumbled through the desert. It smelled meat nearby, and the king of wolves pounced upon the rotting flesh. Crunching, slurping, and other disgusting eating noises were heard throughout the cold air.

It looked up, its ears perking. The creature's strength regained, it bounded off. Out from behind a large rock came a small animal that the beast tore apart; its squeals lasted a mere second before the hunter devoured it.

Its eyes scanned the desert, sniffing for future meals. It stopped, looking towards a small speck: a town.

With a howl to what most considered its mother, the Child of the Moon bounded off.

**End of Chapter Nine**


	10. The Trouble With Children

_**Chapter 10: The Trouble With Children**_

_**[Yay! Tis Faerie now! ^^;]**_

Sebi sighed and looked around at the other shifters. Things currently seemed calm. The blood suckers were not causing trouble and… Sebi's head jerked up at the sight of one of the shifters rushing through the crowd.

"Yes Anbu?" Sebi asked looking at his comrade and friend.

"I-It's terrible," Anbu panted. "I ran here as fast as I could…The town by Edith." He panted more. "It was attacked. The thing killed Al-Jher…"

Sebi gasped. "Setites…" he hissed.

"No," Anbu said. "I-It was a Child of the Moon!" He sputtered.

Sebi reeled back, surprised. "Why is Child here? Something need to be done now." He sighed and shook his head.

Another shifter approached Sebi, obviously not noticing that he was upset. "Alpha…I was on patrol all day today and I noticed something…" Sebi looked at the shifter. "I haven't seen Jahk all day today."

_**BW**_

"So how long has this been going on, Heidi?"

Benjamin looked over at Heidi now, grinning. "It's none of your business, Tia! Just keep your mouth shut!"

"Alright, alright…I can take a hint."

The three of them walked towards the mouth of the cave for Benjamin's training. "You know Tia," Heidi began slyly. Tia looked over at her. "I should be teasing you about your little romantic situation. How do you think Amun would feel about your feelings towards the new addition to the Clan?"

Tia looked away so Heidi and Benjamin couldn't see her expression. "It's better than rushing off to meet an enemy lioness," she finally said, grinning.

Heidi opened her mouth to retort, but Santiago and Sebastian popped out from the mouth of the cave. "What's up?" Santiago said, his white skin sparkling in the sun.

Sebastian grinned. "I know what's up…"

Santiago shot him a glare before looking at the others. "Alright Benjamin…Let's start your training for today."

He and Sebastian walked out several feet away from the cave motioning for Benjamin to follow. Benjamin did so, flashing a smile at Tia before turning his attention to Sebastian and Santiago. "Go easy on him!" Tia called.

Benjamin turned at the sound of her voice and his breath caught in his throat. Now that he and Tia were on good terms, he allowed himself to _really _look at her and now he was _definitely _looking at her. She was not wearing her cloak, but instead, she was wearing simple traveler's clothes. In spite of himself, Benjamin stared at her, noting each one of her curves and every detail of her sparkling, unblemished skin.

"Pay attention!" Santiago barked and Benjamin looked over at him just in time to receive a punch to the gut.

Benjamin reeled back, holding his stomach. "Gah! What was that for?!"

"We're in training, remember?" Sebastian asked playfully.

"Right," Benjamin grunted, straightening himself up. "So what will we work on today?"

Sebastian put an arm around Santiago, which he shrugged off immediately. "Today I think we'll focus with your elements again and how to use them in battle," Santiago said, glowering at Sebastian.

"What do you--?" Benjamin paused in mid-question as Santiago got into a fighting stance.

"Use the elements and your knowledge about fighting to fend me off." He smiled mischievously.

Benjamin raised his fists and looked around for possible weapons; however the only thing he could find around him was sand. _Sand doesn't work too well…It falls apart too easily and it doesn't really hurt when you're hit by it…_

Santiago began to advance towards Benjamin now. Benjamin backed up and the two of them circled around each other repeatedly. "Well? What are you waiting for?" Santiago demanded.

Benjamin raised both his hands in the air and flung them down as hard as he could. Sure enough, sand came up, spraying Santiago in the face. Benjamin grinned and advanced towards him, swinging a fist.

Santiago dodged it with some difficulty and Benjamin swung at him again. This time, Santiago caught his fist and dished out a punch of his own. Benjamin ducked as fast as he could, barely avoiding the punch. "Hmph!"

He then ducked low, doing a roundhouse kick that knocked Santiago off his feet. Just as Benjamin was standing up again, he looked over to see Amun helping Santiago to his feet. "Not bad."

Benjamin stared Amun, unsure of what to do. Amun narrowed his eyes at Benjamin. "I expect some acknowledgement when I speak to you."

"Thank you Amun," Benjamin muttered looking down.

"Alright…Everyone…we need to discuss our next course of action. Kebi is in the cave waiting." Before anyone could respond, Amun was gone in a flash.

"Well," Heidi said, putting her hands on her hips. "Let's see what he wants, shall we?

"Agreed," Tia said and in a flash the five of them were off.

Before Benjamin knew it, they were in Amun's room. He sucked in a breath and looked around. _I'll never get used being able to move that fast. _

"We have a problem…With the shifters."

"You think?" Heidi demanded. "They attacked us first!"

Benjamin looked down. _They attacked us first, because of me…_ He felt something soft press against his hand and he looked down at it to see Tia standing beside him, holding it. She gave him a brief smile before turning her attention to Amun again. "It doesn't matter who attacked who first. We have to do something before they wipe us out."

Santiago stepped forward with his arms crossed. "I suggest we--" He paused and sniffed the air. Benjamin tilted his head and sniffed the air as well. _Jahk! _

"The boy," Amun hissed.

Benjamin looked over at Amun to tell him to leave Jahk be, but he was already gone. _Oh no…Not again! _Before anyone could say anything else, Benjamin took off after Amun. _I won't allow anymore death, _he promised himself.

Just as Benjamin reached the exit of the cave, he saw Amun and Jahk going at it. He had to hand it to Jahk…the little pup was putting up quite a fight. At the same time, he was no match for Amun. The vampire hit Jahk with a ferocity that rocked Benjamin to his core.

"No! Stop this!" Benjamin screamed, but the two ignored him. Benjamin ran to the two of them, preparing to break up the fight.

"Benjamin! Don't do it!" He heard Tia yell behind him as he pulled Amun off of Jahk.

"Y-You!" Jahk sputtered, wiping the blood from his mouth.

"No more," Benjamin whispered as Amun jerked out of his grip. "Please leave." He looked back to see the others standing behind him.

"You won't get away with what you did! You killed my sister!" He screamed, tears coming down his face.

"You shouldn't be here," Amun growled. He then advanced upon the shifter, with his fist raised.

"STOP!" Benjamin boomed, pulling Amun away from him.

"Amun," Tia said from behind Benjamin. "He cannot hope to harm any of us. There are too many of us and only one of him."

"I say we should take care of him before he becomes a bigger problem," Amun said, casting a glare at both Tia and Benjamin.

"I won't let you!" Benjamin cried. He looked at Jahk, who stared at them all, standing shakily.

"Don't try to protect me," Jahk growled, "Filthiest bloodsucker of 'em all!"

"You see," Amun said, a hungry smile on his face. "He will become a problem."

Benjamin opened his mouth and closed it again, looking down. "Now that we've established that…" Amun paused and tackled Jahk to the ground. Benjamin stood frozen as the two of them fought each other, rolling around every which way on the ground.

"ENOUGH!" He yelled with so much force that the ground shook lightly.

Amun paused and looked at him. Before Jahk could take advantage of his distraction, Amun punched him in the chin, stunning him. He stood up, facing Benjamin. "You will not interfere anymore."

Benjamin felt a shiver run down his spine, though he ignored it. "I will not sit here and allow you to kill him. You have forgotten that they are attacking us because you decided to take me into the Clan."

"They should keep their sniveling noses where they belong," Amun said, glaring daggers into him now.

Benjamin tried his best not to display his fear. "I will not let you kill him," he repeated.

"And what will you do about it?" Amun said, getting face to face with Benjamin now.

"I will leave." Amun stood frozen, staring at him with disbelief. Any anger his face displayed was now replaced with fear. "I will go and never come back. I do not want to be a murderer. I will not kill unless I have to…"

"Y-You will…" His voice faded away as he stared at Benjamin. It didn't take long before his disbelief was replaced with anger once more. "You would do no such thing. You have _nothing! _You have no one!"

"He has me," Tia's strong voice said from behind. "And if he wishes to leave…I will go with him. We have no reason to kill the shifter. I do not want a war."

"You wouldn't dare," Amun snarled.

"I would. I look forward to seeing what Benjamin can do later. I will be glad to make him my companion…I will follow him…where ever he goes."

Despite the current situation, Benjamin felt a pang of happiness at her words. "I should _destroy _the two of you."

"Amun, darling, let me handle the shifter," Kebi said, in a whisper so that only her covenmates heard her. "I can take away his memory temporarily and we can send him on his way.

Benjamin raised an eyebrow. This was the first time he had heard her speak.

Amun gritted his teeth, exhaling loudly. He looked over at Benjamin and Tia and reluctantly nodded. "Very well."

Jahk stared at the seven vampires with wide eyes. "Get away from me!" He shouted. "I just want him!" He said, pointing at Benjamin. "He killed her…" He turned to run away, but Kebi was already on him. She touched his cheek and his froze, staring at her. For a few seconds, he stared into her eyes and finally…he collapsed. "Jai…" He whispered as he fell onto the ground.

Amun glared at Benjamin. "I will not accept any behavior like that from you again without a punishment. Let this be a warning for you."

"Ah…" Benjamin and the others watched as Jahk stood up. "What happened?" He muttered.

"You have lost your way," Amun said, tension in his voice. "I was just telling you that you need to go that way until you get to the town of Edith."

Jahk smiled and bowed his head. "Why thank you... kind sir. I suppose I'll be on my way."

Amun grunted and turned back towards the others. "I'll be in the cave," he muttered just before disappearing.

_**BW**_

"Son, are you sure you're alright?" Jahk's mother asked softly.

Jahk stared out the window. He was annoyed at _everything _now. One of the female vampires had fooled him into believing that he was lost. He had followed the leader of the Clan's advice. He left the vampires and went to Edith, walking several miles and by the time he got near Edith, he simply collapsed. A few shifters passing by saw him and carried him back to his house and as soon as he awoke, he remembered.

"I'm fine," he said, his teeth gritted. He would not let _anyone _take anything from him again. Not his memory…nor his sister.

_**BW**_

The Child of the Moon stared at his half-eaten meal. It was a trader that was just heading to Edith to sell some sort of new clothing. That didn't matter. The Child of the Moon no longer understood the concepts of "traders" and "clothing" anymore. Once upon a time, it had been human. Once upon a time, it had thoughts and feelings, even dreams.

The human would've been horrified by the loss of life that he was now munching away at. But now, to him... it was a meal. It was food.

And just like his time as a human, it was… no more.


	11. Romance Under the Stars

_**Chapter 11: Romance under the Stars**_

"Stop hovering around me!" Jahk shouted angrily at two nearby shifters.

"Sebi told us to," one said.

"He doesn't want you getting in trouble with the Setites," the other replied.

Jahk glared at the two of them, but said nothing. It wasn't their fault. Orders were orders. _Eventually they'll let up on me, and when they do…I'll take action. Until then, I have to figure out a plan to overcome them. _

Lately there had been rumors of a Child. Jahk learned that Children of the Moon were very dangerous, but at the same time, he was intrigued. _They are a little like us…They can't be that bad. _

He smiled darkly to himself. _Maybe it'll find its way to that cave and kill all the vampires. _

That thought made him feel better.

**BW**

"So I'm done with training for the day?" Benjamin asked Santiago.

Santiago nodded. "Yes, you may go."

Benjamin smiled to him before turning back towards the cave. _I've already had a good meal today. I guess I'll go home and see what Tia's… _

Benjamin paused in his thoughts. He'd just called the cave 'home.' _Is it a home? _

He looked down. He didn't want to get himself down over thoughts of being human once more. That was his past life. This was a new life. _I'm stuck here forever anyway…might as well call it home. _

With that thought, Benjamin smiled to himself and launched himself towards the cave, eager to see Tia.

**BW**

"Khet?" Heidi looked around for her female lover. After the mishap with Tia and Benjamin, the two of them agreed that they wouldn't meet anywhere near their homes. "Where are you?" She called.

Khet poked her head out from a nearby bush. "There you are! Sorry about that…I must have dozed off."

Heidi chuckled. "I've forgotten what it's like to sleep."

Khet tilted her head. "How long has it been since you've slept?"

Heidi walked over to her and sat down, looking up at the night sky. "I don't remember," she admitted. "Though I must say, I prefer not being able to sleep. It's certainly an inconvenience."

"I like to sleep!" Khet said, stretching out in the sand. "It would be cool if I didn't have to sleep, but sleeping is good for some things."

Heidi lied back beside Khet, grabbing her hand lightly. It was a very intimate move, but Khet never seemed to mind. _I can have romance here and there, I suppose. _She smiled to herself. _Romance under the stars…_

"Like what?"

"Well sleep can be an escape! Like when you're stressed!"

Heidi looked over at Khet and smiled. "What do I have to be stressed about?"

Khet giggled. "You said that girl…Tia was making fun of you."

Heidi felt a light pang of anger at the thought of Tia's jokes. _Honestly, she's making it out to be more than it really is. _

"I don't care. It's just casual sex, right?"

Khet nodded, smiling slightly. "Exactly and might I add—She wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her closer—"You're very…good at what you do."

Heidi tried to calm her desire to tackle Khet at that moment. She'd told Khet about her constant…urge for sex. "Come on Heidi…I know you can do it…Stay in control."

Heidi gritted her teeth and nodded as Khet began tracing her fingertips along her stomach. "It's hard to do when you're doing…"

She started panting as Khet's hands started sliding lower and lower… _"How can I remain calm when you're doing this to me?!"_

Khet chuckled. "I have faith in you."

"Screw faith!" Heidi said, springing up and tackling Khet now.

"Alright, you win," Khet said.

"Good," Heidi breathed as positioned herself on top of Khet. "I like winning." And with that remark, she kissed the lioness shifter with a passion that made her forget _everything _around her.

**BW**

"You want to go on _top _of the cave?" Benjamin asked, perplexed.

"Yeah!" Tia said, smiling. "It's not too difficult. If you get a running start, you can get up there pretty easily. The view is quite nice."

Benjamin fumbled with his cloak nervously. "Alright…I'll try it."

Tia smiled and took his hand in hers. "Shall we?"

Benjamin nodded and the two of them took off like rockets. Within seconds they were several yards outside the cave. "Alright…the trick is not to slow down until you reach the flatter part of the cave's top. Do _not _slow down."

"Sounds easy enough," Benjamin said, trying to mask his true nervousness. _Here I go…! _

Benjamin ran as fast as he could. The cave's outer wall was approaching fast and the temptation to stop was almost unbearable…But it worked! Seconds later, he was running up the cave's wall and his feet reached a flatter part that was the cave's roof.

"Excellent!" Tia said as he came to a stop. "You did perfect!"

Benjamin looked down and smiled bashfully. Tia took his hand once more, leading him towards the opposite edge of the cave. She then took off her cloak and set it on the ground. Benjamin followed suit, and sat down next to Tia.

"This is amazing! There are stars all over!" Benjamin exclaimed as he looked around.

Tia smiled. "Why do you think I wanted to come up here?"

Benjamin looked at her for a moment and looked back at the sky. "Can I ask you something, Tia?"

"Sure."

"How long have you been—you know."

Tia smiled. "A while," she said in a mysterious voice. Benjamin stuck his tongue out at her. "I've been this way close to a hundred and fifty years."

Benjamin raised an eyebrow. "Why did Amun turn you?"

"He didn't...Amun and Kebi were the two originals members of this Coven. They found Santiago, who joined them and Kebi turned Sebastian, who then turned me."

"Wow…" Benjamin looked at the sky. "I wouldn't have guessed that Sebastian turned you. Who turned Heidi?"

Tia grinned. "Amun actually turned her. He saw her charm when she was alive and figured that she would make a good addition to the Coven."

"I wouldn't have guessed that she was the last addition before me," Benjamin said, still staring up at the sky. From the corner of his eye, he saw Tia staring at the sky too.

"She certainly doesn't act it, does she?"

Benjamin laughed quietly and shook his head. It was certainly nice to be with Tia under the night sky.

"Look! A shooting star!" Tia called out suddenly. Benjamin's eyes shot towards where she was pointing, and sure enough, a shooting star shot across the sky. Benjamin closed his eyes and silently made his wish. When he opened his eyes, Tia was looking at him, smiling. "You're supposed to make a wish. I hope mine comes true."

"It will," Benjamin said. "Because I wished for the same thing."

Tia's eyes widened a little as Benjamin leaned forward, cupping her face in his hands. "H-How did you know…?"

_I didn't. _

"Benjamin, I haven't kissed anyone in…"

Benjamin leaned forward and her words were lost as their lips pressed together. It was tranquil. It was perfect. And at that very moment…absolutely nothing could go wrong.

**BW**

Santiago lied back on his cot. It had been a long day training Benjamin and he was now ready to relax. _He has potential._

"Hey Sant! Have you seen Heidi?" Santiago sat up to see none other than Sebastian standing in front of him.

"No," he snarled.

"Strange…" He shrugged. "She must have gone off, which leaves the two of us alone…"

"It's not going to happen. Not now. Not ever."

Sebastian looked down and to Santiago's surprise, he nodded. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

"With you?"

Sebastian nodded.

"Why would I want to do that?"

Sebastian shrugged. "I'm bored. Heidi's gone, Amun's no fun, and Benjamin and Tia are making out on top the cave." Santiago raised an eyebrow at the last remark. It wasn't much of a surprise, however. There had always been obvious chemistry between the two of them. "Come on…I won't try anything."

Santiago hesitated and briefly considered telling Sebastian to leave at once. _It won't hurt anything. _

"Alright…but the second you try something, I'm leaving."

"Fair enough," Sebastian said, grinning.

And with that, Santiago crawled out the cot and the two of them made their way to the mouth of the cave. _A walk…And he said he wouldn't try anything…What's the worst that could happen? _

**BW**

The Child of the Moon panted as it ran through the desert. It was dark now and it was the perfect time to hunt.

This time, however, the Child wanted a challenge. Just the day before, it chased a jackrabbit into the vast desert and killed it.

It wanted that feeling again. It wanted to chase its victim. It wanted to corner the victim. It wanted to _kill _the victim.

The Child skidded to a halt at the sight of a cave in the distance. Its instincts told it to peruse the cave for food. The Child would have its meal tonight.

**BW**

"To be honest, I'm happy for Tia and Benjamin. Tia hasn't had happiness in a while," Sebastian said.

Santiago eyed him for a few moments. "I suppose so," he agreed. "I hope their relationship doesn't go wrong."

"You know Sebastian…I definitely prefer you when you're _not _hitting on me."

Sebastian chuckled. "Well it's in my nature after all."

"I _might _try something with you if you act like this more often."

Sebastian's face lit up in a way that made Santiago want to laugh at him. "Really?"

"No."

The two of them laughed at the same time. "We should get back," Santiago said, looking back at the cave.

"Alright, we should…" Sebastian looked back abruptly. "It c-can't be…There's no way that is w-what I think it is."

Santiago stared at Sebastian, bewildered. "What?"

**BW**

The Child had its new prey in its sight now. It distinctly heard one of the men say, "Santiago, run!"

The other prey made no attempts to run. This was it. It was his. He would have blood.


	12. Graveside Alliance

_**Graveside Alliance...**_

_**Another sad chapter, doled out by CerberAsta. I feel immensely dissatisfied with the ending of this chapter, but it's the best I can do at this time of stressful exams coming up.**_

**BW**

Feral instincts are disturbed things. They can provide for a fun time when doing simplistic, animalistic things. A jackrabbit chase can be seen as fun as chasing down a tank. There is no way to comprehend the mind of an ex-human creature that has been forced to relinquish itself to nothing but the _id_, the most basic part of the human mind, beyond understanding the basic needs of hunger. The rest is strange urges that can vary from sniffing dirt to biting rocks.

Any attempts to look inside such a mind is foolish; staring into the abyss only prompts it stare back.

"Run! Just _run_!" Sebastian shouted.

The Child snarled, rushing forward towards the stationary figure. The Child couldn't get a proper scent of Santiago, and it was already locked on Sebastian, who was now running towards it. Sebastian ducked and rolled forward in a blitzing motion, too fast for the Child to redirect itself. Sebastian rolled between the thing's legs, then launched himself up from the ground. With another leaping movement, he smashed his fist into the wolf monster's back, causing it to cry out.

The thing whirled around and smashed Sebastian down, causing sand to fly up into the air. It brought its foot down on his head, and it pressed, shoving his head through the sand. Sebastian gritted his teeth, trying not to make a sound. He couldn't let Santiago hear him.

He felt the Child's hand grip firmly on his legs and his eyes bugged out. The monstrous grip threatend to break his legs in two. Still, he didn't make a sound; he couldn't, or else Santiago might try to help him. Sebastian knew the might of the Children of the Moon. It would take more than their entire coven to take him down... The Child's hands gripped him tighter and began to pull. Sebastian wanted to scream, the anticipation of greater pain almost too much for him to handle. It was pulling him apart!

_CRACK_.

_KA-KRICK..._

_SNAP._

_**AUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**_

**BW**

"AMUN! COME HELP! THERE'S A CHILD OF THE MOON! IT'S GOT SEBASTIAN!" Santiago roared, rushing into the cave.

Tia gasped, and fear settled in all of the coven, except for one.

"A... Child of the Moon...?" Benjamin asked.

"One of the most vicious monsters. A vampire hunter. The only method that a vampire can kill a vampire is by tearing them apart and burning them. Children of the Moon can eat them, without a problem. Sebastian is already dead," Amun said, his voice heavy.

"No! Surely we can save him!" Benjamin replied.

"There's nothing we can do, boy. Sebastian died the moment the Child saw him. He just didn't know it, yet."

Benjamin darted towards the mouth of the cave, before Tia could grab him, only to meet Kebi's fist. He started to get up, but she delivered a kick to his face which knocked him on his back. Before he could get up, she grabbed him by the neck and stared into his eyes. Benjamin stared back, dazzled by the diamond orbs. Kebi dropped him, and he sat there, woozy. Santiago and Heidi looked around, nervously. Amun was the charisma and the force, but Kebi was the iron will and often the brains. If she didn't want something to happen, it generally didn't. Tia looked down, helpless to stop it all.

"Do not attempt to escape, Santiago. As much as you may love Sebastian, you cannot interfere here," Kebi said, sharply.

Santiago glared at her, "Love him? Never!"

Kebi tilted her head, "It's why you put up with him. Why you were eternally annoyed by him. And it was why you cannot bear the thought of him being devoured as we speak."

"FUCK YOU!"

Santiago was standing now, every feature tense and ready to snap. Kebi zipped passed him, into deeper parts of the cave. Amun placed himself down by the entrance, after giving Benjamin a swift nudge that caused him to crack against the wall of the caverns.

"You will all go to the back of the cave. If the Child should I attack, I will warn you all and we will enact the normal plan for invaders."

Santiago started towards Amun, but found Heidi's hand on his shoulder, holding him back. He glared furiously, even as she shook her head. He jerked forward, out of her grip. He looked at Amun, then rushed forward. With amazing speed, Amun twirled around, getting enough momentum for his leg to snap out and kick Santiago in the chest, knocking the warring vampire back down.

"Sebastian's dead, Santiago. Deal with it, and go back, before I tear you apart."

Santiago stared at the ceiling of the cave, anger filling him. He was glad that he couldn't cry. Glad that no tears came as bidden by his emotions, his shame and torment. Glad that he was able to run to an unused area of the cave before anyone could see his eyes, haunted as they were.

**BW**

The Child chewed slowly on the last bite, looking at the small scraps. The thing spat out two things it couldn't chew: vampire fangs. Wretched things those were. They hurt to swallow, and they made the beast throw up anyways. It definitely wasn't worth it.

The Child of the Moon took off once more, full to bursting. It trotted off to its cave, hoping to digest in its sleep.

**BW**

Death.

It seemed like such a funny thing. Santiago felt he had actually beaten it a few days ago. And here it is, shaking its fist in his face. Some wretched little goblin, laughing and pointing. There was nothing he could do here, though. It was having its laugh, and knew it, but he couldn't just make it go away. It was a permanent scar, etched into his still heart.

"Sebastian," he mouthed to himself.

_Why didn't I admit it...? To myself, even. To you, even better._

_Maybe you didn't care for me... but I cared for you... but... you're dead now and won't come back. Why?_

Santiago heard sounds as the others walked around, some walking passed his section of the cave. He didn't care. They could do what they liked. A few times, he smelled them about twenty feet away. Heidi came a little closer. All the same, they inevitable went on, elsewhere.

Santiago was left alone. Always alone...

**BW**

Jackals and lionesses gathered in a circle, before shifting into humans, all of whom stood there naked. Egyptian culture didn't often allow for clothing, not due to super perversion, but the necessity of it from heat.

Jahk made sure to avert his eyes, to avoid trouble. In previous years, more and more the adolescent boys had trouble with certain "issues" when standing in the conference circle, and were often poked fun at for it. It was occasionally awkward, for instance, when Anbu (as a teen) found himself constantly aroused in the circle, due to the lionesses. Quite a few of the younger lionesses found themselves distracted by him, in turn, and a few of the older ones felt a tad put-out by it. They thought of Jahk as a grand example, as he stood there without any shame to speak of.

Of course, it was less of his mental prowess and more of his own distractions.

_Jai..._

He shook himself, as Sebi began to speak.

"Times bad. Apep's child here. Cannot leave to Setite's. Apep's child has caused us harm. We join Setites to kill Apep's child. Must do this."

"I agree, wholeheartedly," Selk said, "Apep has sent his wretched spawn from his dark home to get its revenge on his slayer's servants, the Setites. But its child is crazed, and has killed some of our own. We must not let this insult slide. Apep's child must be killed, even if we must ally ourselves with the Setites!"

Everyone threw up their hands, fists clenched with pride.

"The spawn must die!" they all cried out.

**BW**

Amun kicked the sand, growling.

"Why did I agree to this?" he muttered, lowly.

"Because I won't rest until Sebastian's buried and until I know that the damn Child is gonna die," Santiago snapped.

Benjamin and Tia scanned the ground, and Benjamin leaped forward into the desert sand. He pilfered his hands through it quickly, the sand shooting away. Benjamin sat up and looked behind himself, at the others, holding up two shining white objects.

"His fangs!" Santiago shouted.

Benjamin stood up and held them out to him. Santiago snatched them, quickly, and placed them in his pocket. He padded against the pocket gently, with his hand, seeming highly paranoid. He turned towards Amun, and looked at the spot on the ground. He seemed to shake, ever so gently. Benjamin and Tia looked at him nervously, before standing away, holding each other. Heidi looked away awkwardly, while Sebi and Amun seemed aggravated.

"What's that...?" Benjamin asked, looking to the side.

"Hm? What do you hear?"

"I don't hear it... I can feel the sand's vibrations. Large animals heading this way."

Several forms appeared on the horizon at blazing speeds. The Egyptian Coven stood there, calmly, but on guard. The forms became quickly apparent as the shifters. Only two, though. A jackal and a lioness.

"And that...?" Benjamin said, stammering, "It's like... us. Four of them."

Amun looked to the side and growled, "Caius, you bastard. Sebi, carry it out."

Sebi nodded and stood by Tia and Benjamin. She put her hands on both of their shoulders and closed her eyes. Amun crossed his arms and seemed to sigh in relief. The shifters and vampires reached the Coven within moments of each other.

"This is an odd moment, to be sure," Amun grumbled, "What is it you want?"

"You know the laws, Amun... Children of the Moon must die," Caius said.

"Monster evil... must go," Sebi said.

"I've brought with me Demetri, who saw where the Child was, and in fact saw the Child two nights ago. He picked up your scent and we decided to join with you. Strength in numbers. I have with me Chelsea and Felix, who are perfect for dealing with the Child. They both have much experience with it," Caius elaborated.

"You were difficult to find... but worth it," Demetri said, looking at Heidi with interest in his eyes.

"We will bring forth our elite. Two of each, plus ourselves. This monster is a threat to our people. We will not suffer its presence," Selk continued.

"Alright, alright. We'll kill it, then. All of us. Come along. We'll plan near the caves. I've already devised several sets of defensive maneuvers. Kebi, scout around the mountains. Mek snor," Amun said.

"Mek snor?" Tia asked.

"You'll find out. Go with her, if you must," Amun answered, clearly telling her to go.

Kebi shoved Benjamin along with her, and Tia followed.

"Whatever you find, tell us," Amun said.

She nodded and ran along, Benjamin and Tia in tow. Amun waved the others with him. Santiago stood there for a bit, looking down.

"Such a strange alliance... you would laugh at it."

**End of Chapter Twelve**


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